What If?
by SciFiFanForever
Summary: What if Doomsday ended differently and Rose managed to stay with the Doctor. How would their lives have gone?
1. Doomsday

**What If?**

 **Chapter 1**

 **Doomsday**

'WHOP!'

'I think this is the on switch,' Rose said, as she 'jumped' back from what the Doctor nicknamed "Pete's World". The Doctor looked up with surprise from the computer he was rebooting.

What the hell was she doing? He was fairly certain he was going to die in his attempt to defeat the Daleks and the Cybermen, and he didn't want Rose to go the same way. And if by some miracle they did survive, she would be trapped here, never able to see Jackie again. He ran over and gripped her arms.

'Once the breach collapses, that's it,' he said angrily. 'You will never be able to see her again, your own mother!' He knew what that was like, not being able to see your own family, and he didn't want Rose to go through that anguish.

'I made my choice a long time ago, and I'm never going to leave you,' she said in a quiet, but determined voice. Her mind was made up, she'd said forever, and she meant it. 'So what can I do to help?'

'Systems rebooted. Open access,' an electronic female voice announced.

He saw that defiant look on her face, and God how he loved it. 'Those coordinates over there, set them all at six. And hurry up.'

She went over to the terminal, removing the dimension button from around her neck, and started entering the coordinates. She saw a proximity alarm flashing and clicked on the icon.

'We've got Cybermen on the way up,' she said, looking at the surveillance footage on the computer.

The Doctor ran over to have a look. 'How many floors down?'

'Just one.' The Doctor went back to the computer and finished inputting the lever command code.

['Levers operational,'] the computer announced, and a broad smile spread across his face.

'That's more like it . . . bit of a smile . . . the old team,' she said, matching his smile.

He grabbed the Magnaclamps. 'Hope and Glory, Mutt and Jeff, Shiver and Shake.'

'Which one's Shiver?'

'Oh, I'm Shake,' he said as he gave her a Magnaclamp. She followed his lead and put it on the wall by the lever.

'Press the red button,' he told her, and the clamp fastened itself to the wall. They went to the levers and knelt down in front of them, ready to lift them into the locked position.

'When it starts, just hold on tight. Shouldn't be too bad for us but the Daleks and the Cybermen are steeped in Void stuff. Are you ready?'

'So are they.' Rose was looking out of the window of Yvonne Hartman's office, where she could see four Daleks about to attack.

'Let's do it!' he shouted, and they lifted the hefty levers into place.

['Online,'] the computer announced as they ran to the Magnaclamps to hold on. A bright light came out of the breach and a strong wind rushed into it, sucking the first Daleks through the windows and into itself.

'The breach is open! Into the Void! Ha!'

Daleks and Cybermen started streaming through the window and into the Void, becoming a blur as they accelerated from further a field. Something hit the wall hard near Rose, she thought it was the Dalek Crucible, but couldn't be sure. What she was sure of, was that the vibration had loosened her lever and it started to move.

['Offline.'] the computer told them

Rose tried to reach across to the lever, but it was too far, she would have to let go of the clamp and risk a jump to the lever. But if she missed, she would fall into the Void and that would be the end. She needed some kind of safety line to stop her falling into the breach.

The Doctor could see Rose reaching towards the lever, and his hearts went into his mouth. "Oh please Rose no, don't try and jump the gap", he thought to himself. But she didn't. She held back onto the Magnaclamp and looked down at her legs, then she looked at him with a sort of embarrassed smile, and then back at her legs.

It was fair to say that what happened next took him completely by surprise. As Daleks and Cybermen tumbled past, their speed decreasing as the breach started to close, he saw Rose start to unbutton her jeans and pull down the zip.

'ROSE, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?' he shouted across the room.

She had her right elbow hooked around the Magnaclamp while she tried to pull the legs of her trousers over her boots. 'SAFETY LINE,' she shouted back over her shoulder.

She had estimated the distance from the clamp to the lever, she knew her height and her inside leg measurement, and calculated that she could use her jeans as a safety line.

She was struggling to get the jeans over her boots and she was acutely aware that time was running out. If she didn't get a move on, they would be shot by a passing Dalek or Cyberman. She pulled her knees up to her chest and pulled down the zips on her boots, kicking them off and seeing them tumble into the Void.

She took her left leg out of the leg of her jeans and tied it around the handle of the Magnaclamp, giving it a sharp tug to pull the knot tight. Her life was going to depend on this knot so it had to be tight. She then took her right leg out of the jeans leg and tied it around her ankle so tight that it made her toes tingle.

"Right, here goes", she thought to herself and let go of the Magnaclamp. The wind and the pull from the breach had lessened, and she was able to walk her hands along the floor, up the semicircular lever housing, and up the lever to the handle at the top. She squeezed the handle to release the catch, and slowly pulled the lever towards her.

The Doctor looked on with a mixture of concern, amazement, and admiration, as Rose in her light blue hoodie, pink knickers and white ankle socks, pulled her body into a crouch to get the leverage she needed to lock the lever in place.

Rose could feel the denim creaking as the lever started to reach its zenith. She was SO thankful that she'd spent that little bit extra on her black denim jeans to buy a quality pair with double stitched seams.

'EXTERMINATE!' She heard the scratchy voice beside her and glanced over to see a Dalek slowly floating by with its weapon pointing directly at her. She squealed and jerked the lever into its locked position.

['Online,'] the computer announced and almost immediately, the wind picked up and she felt the increased pull of the Void.

'ROSE!' she heard the Doctor cry out as a green flash of energy passed in front of her, singeing her eyebrows and exploding on the wall. At the moment it fired, the Dalek had been pulled tumbling towards the Void, causing it to miss its target.

To Rose, the pull of the void had replaced the pull of gravity, and as far as she was concerned she was performing a handstand on the lever as though she were on top of the high bar in the gym. This was something she could do, and do well. Her knots had held, the stitching on her jeans had held, and she was feeling pretty good.

She looked over at the Doctor, who was still looking worried, and gave him her biggest smile. She saw his face light up with a smile to match and saw his lips say 'yes!'

When the last of the mechanised soldiers had disappeared into the bright light at the end of the room, the pull and wind decreased until the room became still and silent.

'Oof,' Rose said as she let go of the lever and dropped to the floor. No sooner had she hit the floor, when a pair of strong hands wrapped around her shoulders and pulled her into a sitting position and a hug.

'Hah! That was brilliant, absolutely one hundred per cent genius. We did it! You did it!' the Doctor said, laughing with relief.

Rose wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close, laughing and giggling hysterically. 'Warring mechanical armies . . . bring 'em on I say. They're no match for this team.'

'Rose Tyler, defender of the Earth, even in her knickers,' he said with a mischievous grin.

She blushed at that realisation and pulled her knees up to her chest, pulling at the tight knot of her jeans around her ankle. 'Can you give me a hand with this?'

'Sure.' He stood up and used his strong fingers to loosen the knot around the Magnaclamp, before kneeling down and doing the same to the one around her ankle. He helped her to her feet and she put her jeans back on.

'I'm going to have to get a new pair of boots,' she informed him as she zipped up her jeans.

'Have you got any back at . . .' He stopped, hesitant to remind her that her mother was gone and the flat would be empty.

'At the flat?' she finished for him. 'Yeah, I have. Can we stop by and I'll pick up the rest of my stuff.'

'Rose, you do know that Jackie's gone don't you?'

She looked down at her hands. 'Yeah, I know. And I'll miss her, like I missed Mickey when he moved to that universe.' She looked up into his dark eyes and smiled. 'But you know what, she's got Dad again, and that's great because she's been without him for twenty years and now she's got him back.'

It was her turn to hesitate as she looked down to her hands again. 'And . . . I've got you,' she said quietly, looking up uncertainly into his eyes, wondering if she really had got him.

She needn't have worried though; he smiled and held out his hand for her. 'We've got each other.'

She grinned and took his hand, feeling the thrilling tingle she always felt when they held hands. She hugged his arm as they headed out of the lever room.

'Ooh, careful. There's glass all over the floor,' he said as they tried to pass the remnant of Yvonne Hartman's glass fronted office.

Rose gave a squeal of surprise and hugged him around the neck as he scooped her up and carried her along the hallway into the corridor. He put her back on her feet once the floor was clear, and they headed for the lift, hand in hand.

They wandered unhindered through corridors and stairwells, making their way back to the TARDIS. They could feel her calling them back to her present location in the main warehouse. The Touchwood staff were either wandering about in shock or they were dead, deleted by Cybermen or exterminated by Daleks.

The scene of destruction around them dampened the initial feelings of happiness and success. It was time to do what the Doctor normally did in situations like this and leave the tidying up to someone else.

'It looks like Torchwood is out of business,' the Doctor said as he carried Rose over the rubble of a destroyed wall.

The TARDIS was standing alone, a sentinel in the dimly lit wreck of the warehouse. Rose lovingly touched the blue wooden panelling. A warm "hum" filled her mind as the TARDIS welcomed them back. He put the key in the door and pushed it open for Rose to go inside, following her in and closing the door without looking back.

The Time Rotor pumped up and down to the wheezing, grinding sound of time and space being bent out of shape. The Doctor orbited the console, as Rose returned from her room wearing a pair of white trainers.

'There, that's better,' she said with a smile.

The Doctor cast a concerned glance at her. 'Are you ready?'

'As I'll ever be,' she sighed. 'Might as well do it now and get it over with.'

He twisted a dial and flipped a lever, and the Time Rotor slowed to a stop. Rose walked slowly, almost reluctantly, down the ramp to the door, opened it, and stepped out into the living room of the flat that had been her home for the last 19 years.

The Doctor stepped out behind her and held her hand in support. 'Where do you want to start then?'

There was a long pause before she spoke. 'My room I think, that'll be the easiest.'

They went down the short hallway and into Rose's bedroom on the right. Her room in the TARDIS was an exact copy of this one, well almost.

'Did you say easiest? Did someone let a mess bomb off in here or something?' he said with raised eyebrows.

'Oi, this is my room,' she said with a laugh, and then went sad. 'Was my room.'

'So what do you want me to do then?' he asked.

'Well, I've got bed linen and everythin' in the TARDIS, so it's just the personal stuff really.' She picked up Mr Tedopoulos, her teddy bear and hugged it to her chest. 'He's comin' with us,' she squeaked through tears.

'Hey, hey, come on now,' he said putting an arm around her shoulders. 'We can come back another time if you want.'

'No, it's okay. It's just that there are so many memories connected to all this stuff, it took me by surprise. Could you get the photos around the mirror please?'

The Doctor walked around the bed, glancing out of the window which looked out over the estate, before approaching the cluttered dressing table. He picked some magazines up off the floor along with a gold coloured shoulder bag and put them on the bed.

Rose opened the wardrobe and started taking hangers of clothes out, laying them carefully on the bed. She noticed a cardboard box at the bottom of the wardrobe which contained old books from her childhood. She opened the box and rummaged through the contents.

She lifted out a book, "The Legend of Pandora's box" and wiped a tear from her cheek. She remembered her mum reading it to her and showing her the pictures when she was little, before she would go to sleep.

There was another book below it, "The Story of Roman Britain", a picture book about the Roman occupation of the British Isles. She had always enjoyed reading that book about the straight roads and Hadrian's Wall. She sighed and put the books back in the box. That chapter of her life was over now, it was time to grow up and move on.

When the wardrobe was empty, she started on the chest of drawers. Ten minutes later, the bed was piled high with 19 years worth of personal possessions that she wanted in her room on the TARDIS.

'I'll start taking this through to the TARDIS, and you can start on another room,' he said kindly. 'Are there any keep sakes of your mother's that you want to take?'

'Yeah, thanks. I don't want to leave any of Mum's personal stuff behind.'

Rose was reminded of the time they emptied Mickey's flat when he stayed behind in "Pete's World". It was hard to do, but it needed to be done, and it was reassuring to know that they had saved personal things that meant something to them both.

She met the Doctor at the door of the TARDIS, with a suitcase full of Jackie's clothes. 'Here, we can take these down the charity shop later,' she said as she slid it towards him. 'I'm going to get her jewellery and the photo album.'

There wasn't anything in the kitchen that had any sentimental value, so she turned her attention to the living room. There was the television and DVD player, as well as Jackie's hair dressing equipment and hair products dotted around the doorway. Although her mum would have valued the items, Rose thought it was easiest to leave them behind.

'Oh my old red bike,' she said as she looked behind the sofa. 'I'm takin' that with me.'

'Have you still got that?' he asked without thinking. 'It must be eight years old by now.'

'Of course I've still got it. I love that bike, and I've looked after it . . . well, Mickey looked after it. He serviced it regularly for me down the garage.'

She smiled at him, before it turned into a frown. 'Hang on, how did you know my bike is eight years old?'

'Er, you told me, on the TARDIS. Don't you remember; when the nano-genes fixed everyone that time. You said I was beaming like Father Christmas delivering your bike when you were twelve . . . that makes it eight years doesn't it?'

'Oh yeah,' she said uncertainly. She remembered it was something like that.

She sorted through the photos and knick-knacks on the shelves and display stands in the living room and put them all in the TARDIS.

'Right, that's it then. The end of my old life, start of the new one,' she said as she wiped the tears from her cheeks with her fingers.

He opened the door, and held his arm out inviting her to step on board. 'Rose Tyler, your universe awaits. Welcome home.'

'Thank you . . . for everything.'

He flew the TARDIS to the courtyard below, opposite the charity shop, and offloaded the unwanted clothing. The ladies serving in the shop were overjoyed with the amount and quality of the donated items.

Rose stood at the door of the TARDIS and took one last look around the estate, before stepping through the door and leaving her old life behind.

'Are you okay?' the Doctor said as he started up the Time Rotor.

'Yeah,' she said quietly. 'I was just thinkin', I never said goodbye to Mum.'

'Ah, right . . . not big on goodbyes myself, but I know you lot are quite keen on them,' he said trying to lighten the mood. He checked the monitor with a frown that turned to a grin. 'Would you like to say goodbye?'

'Of course, but I can't can I,' she said sadly.

He pulled a lever and flicked a switch with a flourish. 'Got your phone on you?'

She reached into the pocket of her hoodie. 'Yeah, here it is, but it can't connect across universes can it.'

'The cracks between the universes are closing, and there's one little hole left. The TARDIS can project a signal through the void to the other universe.'

Rose pressed the speed dial for her mum and held the phone to her ear. 'Oh my God, it's ringin'.'

['ROSE! Rose is that you? Where are ya?'] Jackie said quickly. Rose's eyes immediately filled with tears.

'Mum,' she squeaked, 'Mum, I'm in the TARDIS. The Doctor found the last gap in the breach, I haven't got long.'

'Tell her to put it on speakerphone,' the Doctor told her.

['Pete, Mickey, it's Rose. She's alive!'] she heard her say in the background. ['Sweetheart, are ya safe? Are ya comin' home?']

'Yeah Mum, we're safe. Put the speakerphone on Mum so everyone can here us.' Rose did the same with her phone.

'We did it, we beat the Daleks and the Cybermen, but the breach is closed now and I won't be able to see you again.'

['Oh Rose, Sweetheart . . .'] Jackie started to sob. ['And I've got nothin' to remind me of you. We left everythin' behind.']

That got the Doctor thinking. He went over to a floor panel and pulled it up, rummaging through various bits of equipment.

'I know Mum. I've been back to the flat and got all of our personal stuff. I couldn't bear the thought of the council goin' through it an' throwin' it all away . . . So, how are things over there then?' Rose cried.

The Doctor was plugging leads into a gizmo he was holding in his arms, his sonic screwdriver held in his teeth.

['It's been four months now Sweetheart, and I've been thinkin' about ya every day. We're fine here. Pete's loaded and lives in this big gaff, it's very comfortable.']

Rose laughed through her tears. 'I know Mum, we were there before, remember?'

['Oh yeah, Mickey told me all about it.'] Jackie said.

['Rose, its Pete. I just wanted to say that I'm sorry the way I behaved towards you. Jackie's told me all about your dad and what happened, and . . . if its all right with you, I'd like to think of you as my daughter, what with me and your mum being together now.']

'Really? Oh yes, that would be brilliant. Thanks . . . Dad.'

['She called me dad. Did you hear that? She called me dad.']

The Doctor put the gizmo on the console and adjusted the position of it until he was happy. He then started to connect the leads into a panel.

['We heard you big lump, now button it I've got to speak to our daughter,'] Jackie said. Rose could actually imagine her roll her eyes at him.

['Before ya do Jackie I just want to say hi,'] Mickey said. ['Rose, I'm really glad that you an' the Boss are okay. We were really worried when you jumped back over, and then we didn't know if the plan had worked or not. Should have known better than to doubt you two.']

'Well thanks Mickey, that's nice of you to say,' the Doctor said with a grin at Rose.

['Look Rose, before we run out of time, there's somethin' I've got to tell ya . . . me and Pete, we're havin' a baby.']

Rose was temporarily struck dumb. 'Wha'? Did you just say you were havin' a baby? You're pregnant?'

['Yeah, I know, bit of a surprise, particularly at my age. Pete's over the moon, he walks around with a permanent grin on his face.']

'Smile,' the Doctor said as he rested his head against Rose's and waved. There was a flash from the gizmo as it took a digital photo and sent it to Rose's phone, which then sent it to Jackie's phone.

'Oh Mum, that's brilliant. I'm so pleased for ya.' Rose paused and thought about the flash. 'Hang on, did you just take our photo?'

'Yep, it's on it's way to Jackie's phone via your phone.'

'Mum. The Doctor's rigged up a camera. There's a photo on it's way.'

'Ask Mickey Boy to bluetooth the data to a computer and he should be able to reconstruct the image,' the Doctor instructed.

['Thank you Sweetheart. Now, talkin' of the Doctor, I want a word with you before you go.']

'Er, yes Jackie, right here,' he said nervously. Rose wiped the tears from her cheeks with her fingers and laughed at the Doctor's expression. There was another flash from the gizmo.

['Now I know you can't promise me that she'll be safe. No one can promise that anyone will be safe as they go through life, I realise that now. But I want you to promise me that you'll look after her, and that you'll make her happy. Can you do that?']

He put his arm around her shoulders and gazed into Rose's hazel eyes. 'Oh I can definitely promise you that,' he said. They smiled at each other and there was another flash from the gizmo.

['Good. 'Cos if ya don't, I swear I'll tear that breach open with me bare hands and come and give ya what for.']

They heard a series of quick beeps. 'Oh Mum, the signals breakin' up. I love you Mum. Tell the baby about me won't you?'

['Rose, I love you Sweetheart, and the baby will grow up knowin' they have a sister who is beautiful, and brave, and loves them very much. And Rose, be safe, be happy, and for God's sake tell that daft alien you love him.']

'MUM! He can hear you,' she said, her cheeks blushing with embarrassment.

['Good. Might help 'im buck his ideas up a bit. He might be able to change his body but you can't, so he'd better get a move on. Life's too short for us lot.']

The Doctor nodded his head, deep in thought. He was loathed to admit it, but Jackie was right. He couldn't argue with her on that one; human life WAS too short.

'Okay Mum,' she laughed and cried. 'I'll get around to it one day. Bye everybody.'

['Bye Sweetheart / Rose,' they called back. 'We lov . . .']

Her breath caught in her throat as the phone went dead. She started to sob and the Doctor wrapped his arms around her and rubbed her back.

He wasn't big on goodbyes.


	2. The runaway bride

**Authors note: Thanks to all the people who took the time to comment on the first chapter. It's always nice to get encouragement at the start of a new project. I hope I can live up to your expectations. P.S. Glad I took the time to cross reference my notes, because I didn't have Rose reacting to the Doctor getting slapped like she does in a later chapter. It gave me the chance to add a little extra dialogue which I think is hilarious.**

 **Chapter 2**

 **Runaway Bride**

Rose entered the console room, having put all her stuff away in her room. The Doctor was doing his usual thing at the console (whatever that was).

'Er, Doctor?' she said cautiously.

'Hmm?' he said, glancing up at her. She nodded to something behind him.

He turned to see a red headed woman dressed like a ghost, complete with a veil.

'What?'

'Who are you?' the woman demanded.

'But . . .' "if you're real, you can't possibly be here", he was going to say, but was interrupted.

'Doctor, how did she get in here?' Rose asked.

'Where am I?' asked the mystery woman.

'What?' He was struggling to keep up.

'What the hell is this place?' The woman was getting a bit tetchy now.

'What . . . ? You can't do that . . . I wasn't . . . We're in flight. That is . . . that is physically impossible! How did . . .'

'Tell me where I am. I demand you tell me right now where am I?' she said forcefully.

'Inside the TARDIS,' he told her.

'The what?'

'The TARDIS,' Rose said in a calm, friendly voice.

'The what?'

'The TARDIS!' he said more forcefully

'The what?'

Of course, the woman wouldn't recognise the word TARDIS Rose realised. 'It's called the TARDIS.'

'That's not even a proper word. You're just saying things,' she said angrily.

'It's a sort of spaceship,' Rose tried to explain.

The woman looked around the domed console room.

'Spaceship? It doesn't look anything like a spaceship.'

'Oh, and you've seen a lot of spaceships have you?' he asked sarcastically. 'How did you get in here?'

'Well, obviously, when you two kidnapped me. Who was it? Who's paying you? Is it Nerys? Oh my God, she's finally got me back, this has got Nerys written all over it.'

'Who the hell is Nerys?'

'Your best friend,' she said cryptically.

It suddenly occurred to the Doctor that she was dressed in unconventional attire. 'Hold on, wait a minute . . . what are you dressed like that for?'

'Doctor,' Rose interjected. 'Women dress like that when they're . . .'

'I'm going ten pin bowling,' the woman interrupted. 'Why do you think, dumbo? I was halfway up the aisle! I've been waiting all my life for this.'

'Getting married,' Rose finished. The Doctor ran back to the console and adjusted some more of the settings.

'I was just seconds away, and then you, I don't know, you drugged me or something!' the woman said accusingly.

'I haven't done anything!' he declared, as he carried on adjusting the console controls.

'I'm having the police on you pair! Me and my husband, as soon as he is my husband, we're going to sue the living backside off you!' She ran down the ramp to go outside to find a telephone to call the police.

He looked up from the console and saw her running for the doors. 'No, wait a minute, wait a minute, don't!' he called to her, but she wasn't listening.

'Wait, don't open the doors,' Rose called, but it was too late. The woman had opened the doors and stopped in stunned silence, looking out over a breathtaking view of the Milky Way galaxy as seen from above the galactic plane.

They wandered down the ramp, the Doctor's hands in his pockets; Rose's in her back pockets and stood either side of her. 'You're in space,' he said.

'Outer space,' Rose added helpfully, just in case there was some other space she was thinking of.

'This is our space . . . ship. It's called the TARDIS.'

'How am I breathing?' the woman asked quietly, obviously in shock.

'The TARDIS is protecting us,' Rose explained.

The woman tried to gather her thoughts. 'Who are you?' Seemed like a good place to start.

'I'm the Doctor, this is Rose . . . You?'

Who was she . . . ? Hang on she knew the answer to that one. 'Donna.'

He looked her up and down. 'Human?'

'Yeah.' Hang on; what kind of question was that? 'Is that optional?'

'Well, it is for me,' he said quietly.

She let that last comment sink in. 'You're aliens.'

'Yeah.'

'Oh my God, I've been abducted by aliens.'

'Hey, I'm not an alien, I'm from Peckham,' said Rose, and then leaned back a little to talk to the Doctor. 'We haven't abducted her have we?'

'No!' he said indignantly, 'I haven't done anything.'

'It's freezing with these doors open,' she said, trying to bring some normality back to her life.

The Doctor closed the doors quickly and ran up the ramp towards the console. 'I don't understand that and I understand everything. This, this can't happen! There is no way a human being can lock itself onto the TARDIS and transport itself inside. It must be . . .'

He picked up an ophthalmoscope and used it to look into Donna's eyes. '. . . Impossible. Some sort of subatomic connection? Something in the temporal field? Maybe something pulling you into alignment with the Chronon shell. Maybe something macro mining your DNA within the interior matrix. Maybe a genetic . . .'

SLAP!

Rose rushed forward and grabbed Donna's wrist as she slapped his face.

'Oi! Whatcha do that for,' she asked angrily.

'Why d'yer think? I've seen them "Unexplained" programs on the Telly where people get abducted by aliens and have all sorts of experiments done on 'em before bein' impregnated with alien babies.'

'WHAT?!' they said together.

'Well let me tell you sunshine,' Donna said as she pulled her wrist from Rose's grip. 'This bride ain't for impregnatin', so get - me - to - the - church!' she demanded.

Well sod this for a game of tiddlywinks. Why was it that since he'd met Rose, women just wanted to slap him? 'Right! Fine! We don't want you here anyway! Where is this wedding?'

'Saint Mary's, Hayden Road, Chiswick, London, England, Earth, the Solar System,' she said sarcastically.

'Right, Chiswick,' he called out, and ran to the console.

* * *

Sparks flew off the console as the Doctor hit it with a hammer. 'Behave!'

'Can you catch up to her?' Rose asked. The TARDIS lurched, making her grab hold of the console.

In the back of a robot driven London black cab, Donna looked on in amazement as the Tardis bounced off the tarmac. 'You are kidding me.'

'Rose, open the doors and get ready to catch her. She has to jump out of that taxi,' the Doctor said as he weaved the TARDIS through the traffic.

Rose ran down the ramp and opened the door to see tarmac speeding by at 50 miles an hour. 'Open the door!' she shouted to Donna as she held on to the other door.

'Do what?' she called back.

'Open the door!' Rose repeated.

'I can't, it's locked!'

'She says the door's locked,' she shouted up to the Doctor.

The Doctor rummaged in his inside pocket and took out his sonic screwdriver, and adjusted it to unlock doors. 'Here, catch.'

She caught the screwdriver and sonicked the taxi door.

Donna managed to pull down the window 'Santa's a robot,' she told Rose.

'We know Donna, now open the door.'

Donna looked puzzled. 'What for?'

'The Doctor says you've got to jump!'

'I'm not blinking flip jumping. I'm supposed to be getting married!' The conversation ended there as the taxi accelerated away.

'The robot's drivin' off,' Rose reported.

The Doctor had already spotted that on the monitor. 'Oh great. Just what we need, a robo scavenger who thinks he's the Stig.'

The Doctor pulled a few levers and twiddled a couple of dials and the console emitted bangs and sparks in protest. He gave it a thump with the mallet, and after bouncing off the roof of a car, he brought the TARDIS along side the taxi once more.

He ran down the ramp and took the sonic screwdriver from Rose, and adjusting the setting, zapped the robot Stig, which clamped its hands onto the steering wheel. It was like activating the cruise control; the robot couldn't deviate from its current speed.

He leaned out of the door and called to the scared bride in the taxi. 'Listen to me. You've got to jump.'

'I'm not jumping on a motorway,' she called back. She may have been scared, but she wasn't suicidal.

'Whatever that thing is, it needs you. And whatever it needs you for, it's not good! Now, come on!'

'I'm in my wedding dress!'

'Yes, you look lovely!' he said sarcastically.

'Come on!' Rose encouraged her.

The TARDIS started to drift as the carriageway curved away from them. The Doctor ran back up the ramp to take control and realign the TARDIS. Donna opened the door, and Rose held out her hand for her. She could see some children in a Range Rover ahead shouting "jump!" It was the most exciting thing they'd ever seen on a motorway.

'I can't do it,' said Donna.

'You have to trust us,' Rose pleaded, and then looked over her shoulder at the Doctor who was wrestling with the controls. 'You have to trust him.'

'Do you trust him?'

Rose turned back and held Donna's gaze. The look Rose gave her answered her question. 'With my life. Now jump!'

Donna launched herself out of the taxi and landed on top of Rose, much to the delight of the children in the Land Rover. The Doctor used the door lever on the console to close the door, and took the TARDIS up into the sky.

* * *

The Doctor, Rose, and Donna entered the Manchester Suite of the hotel, where Slade were belting out Merry Christmas Everybody and all the wedding guests were having a great time. When people noticed they had arrived, everything went quiet.

'You had the reception without me?' Donna asked in disbelief.

A dark skinned man stepped forwards. The Doctor and Rose presumed it was Lance, the groom. 'Donna, what happened to you?'

'You had the reception without me?' she asked again, ignoring Lance.

'Hello. I'm the Doctor, this is Rose, my plus one,' he said, trying to diffuse the atmosphere.

Donna turned to the Doctor and Rose, opened mouth. 'They had the reception without me.'

'Yes, I gathered,' the Doctor said.

'Well, it was all paid for. Why not?' one of the guests said.

'Thank you, Nerys,' Donna said in an annoyed tone.

A woman, who just had to be the mother of the bride by her attitude, and the way she was dressed, spoke next. 'Well, what were we supposed to do? I got your silly little message in the end. I'm on Earth? Very funny. What the hell happened? How did you do it? I mean, what's the trick, because I'd love to know.'

Everyone agreed that they wanted to know how she did it and started talking at once.

'Where were you the whole time?' Lance asked her, in the hubbub of conversation.

Donna burst into tears, and Lance hugged her, which got everyone applauding, except for Nerys. Donna looked up and winked at the Doctor and Rose.

'Oh she's good,' Rose whispered to the Doctor.

'You're telling me.'

The party started up again, and the live act started singing. Lance led Donna onto the dance floor, and other guests followed.

'If they're havin' a party, I'm goin' to put my glad rags on,' Rose said with an enthusiastic smile. 'An' don't start without me.' She hurried out of the door, making her way to the TARDIS which was parked in the courtyard outside.

The Doctor put his hands in his pockets and wandered over to the bar and leaned back against it, looking at the guests enjoying themselves. Even Donna and Lance were bopping away to the music, and he wondered if he and Rose would ever have a day like this. Not rescuing her from a robo scavenger, having a reception after their wedding.

"Where the hell did that thought come from", he thought to himself. A few songs later, he glanced over to the door and the vision took his breath away. Rose was standing there in a little black dress, with red high heeled shoes, a red bead necklace and a red clutch bag. She scanned the room and spotted him by the bar and smiled.

'Wow, look at you,' he said as she approached, 'you look beautiful.'

'And don't you dare say considerin' I'm human,' she warned him.

'Wouldn't dream of it.'

She looked down at herself uncertainly. 'Do I look all right? It's my clubbin' outfit I wear when I go out with Shareen and Keisha.'

'You are the belle of the ball. Miss Tyler, would you care to dance?' he asked as the live act started to sing Love Don't Roam.

'I thought you'd never ask.'

He led her onto the dance floor, and she realised that she still had her clutch bag and looked around to see what she could do with it.

'Here, let me,' he offered, and put the ten inch long bag into his six inch deep jacket pocket with a grin.

Rose laughed and put her hand on his shoulder as he held her around the waist, and off they went. Without speaking, they both knew they were remembering the time in the TARDIS when they had rescued Jack Harkness from his exploding ship.

When the number finished, they applauded and found a table to sit at. 'Have you got your phone? I want to check on something.'

'Yeah, it's in my bag.' She could see that something was bothering him. 'What's up?'

He rummaged in his pocket as though he couldn't find what he was looking for. 'It's just something Donna said, about the company she worked for . . . ah, here we are.' He pulled out the shiny red bag and handed it to her. She took out her phone and handed it to him.

He started the universal browser and typed in "HC Clements". The search result returned a hit; "HC Clements, sole proprietor - Torchwood".

'Hmmm, that's interesting . . . there's more to this than meets the eye,' he said with a frown.

'Now why doesn't that surprise me,' she said with a smile.

'If only I knew how Donna got into the TARDIS.'

'The guests said that she just disappeared from the church. Maybe the camera man can show you,' Rose offered.

'Camera man? What camera man?'

'Everyone videos their weddin' these days,' she told him, pointing to a man with a video camera on a tripod.

'Rose Tyler, you are brilliant.'

'Oh, I taped the whole thing,' the camera man told them. 'They've all had a look. They said sell it to You've Been Framed. I said, more like the News. Here we are.'

They watched the replay of when Donna turned into gold energy and flew off.

'Can't be. Play it again?' the Doctor said.

'Can't be what?' Rose asked.

'Clever, mind. Good trick, I'll give her that. I was clapping,' the camera man said.

'But that looks like Huon Particles,' said the Doctor.

'What's that then?' Rose and the camera man asked together.

'That's impossible. That's ancient . . . Huon energy doesn't exist anymore, not for billions of years. So old that . . .' A sudden realisation came to the Doctor. 'It can't be hidden by a biodamper! Rose, stay here; watch over Donna.'

He ran out of the room, down the hallway to the front door. Two robo scavengers, dressed as Santas were approaching the door. He ran back inside, into the ballroom.

'Donna! Donna, they've found you.'

'But you said I was safe.'

'The bio-damper doesn't work. We've got to get everyone out.'

'My God, it's all my family.'

'Out the back door!' He led Donna out of the ballroom with Rose following close behind. She bumped into them when he closed the doors again.

'Maybe not,' he said as two more robot Santas approached.

They ran back to the ballroom and looked through the French windows. 'Two more of them,' Rose said.

'We're trapped,' Donna said

The Doctor watched the robo scavengers, and one of them raised a remote control unit. 'Christmas trees,' he said quietly.

'What about them?' Donna asked.

'Oh not again,' Rose groaned, remembering last Christmas at her mum's flat.

'They kill. Get away from the tree!' he shouted.

'Don't touch the trees!' Donna called out.

'Get away from the Christmas trees,' Rose echoed as she and Donna herded the children away from the tall trees.

'Get away from the Christmas trees! Everyone get away from them! Everyone stay away from the trees! Stay away from the trees!' the Doctor shouted as he manhandled the guests away from the trees.

Sylvia had her disbelieving face on, the Doctor could see where Donna got it from now. 'Oh, for God's sakes, the man's an idiot. Why? What harm's a Christmas tree going to . . . Oh.'

She was interrupted by the red plastic baubles floating off the trees. Then they started to zoom at the guests and go Bang! when they hit something. Suddenly, the room was in panic, the presents went tumbling, and one man was thrown into the air. Fortunately he had a soft landing when he landed squarely on the wedding cake.

Rose grabbed Donna by the shoulders and unceremoniously pushed her under a table and joined her there. 'Typical!' Rose said. 'I knew it . . . I just knew it,' she complained.

'Knew what?' Donna asked her as she looked out for the groom.

'Wear a short tight dress with heels, and I have to start runnin' for my life.'

'Nice dress by the way. I wish I had the figure to wear somethin' that chic,' Donna said.

'Oh, thanks. I like your weddin' dress; it looks lovely on you,' Rose responded, thinking that the conversation didn't really reflect the seriousness of the situation.

'Thanks. Just as well really as I'll have to be wearin' it again. So, happens to you a lot does it, runnin' for yer life?'

'Yeah, more often than I'd like if I'm honest.'

'Well, look at me,' Donna said. 'I've gotta run in my weddin' dress.'

Rose snorted a laugh. 'You've got one up on me there. Never had to run in a weddin' dress . . . well, not a traditional one anyway. There was this skimpy fur number once.'

'I reckon it won't be long though,' Donna said with a smile.

Rose was baffled. 'What won't?'

'A weddin' dress. You and skinny Martian boy over there. I saw you on the dance floor. If he held you any tighter, you'd have had to book a room upstairs.'

'He's not . . . we're not . . .' Rose was trying to gather her thoughts and explain that he wasn't a Martian and they weren't that kind of couple. Well, not yet anyway. She wouldn't complain if they were though. Before she could vocalise her thoughts, Donna had grabbed Lance and pulled him under the table.

'Oi! Santa!' they heard the Doctor shout. 'Word of advice. If you're attacking a man with a sonic screwdriver, don't let him near the sound system.' He was standing behind the DJ's sound desk, and opposite were six Santa's all lined up in front of the bar.

Rose saw him holding his sonic screwdriver and guessed what was coming next. 'Stick yer fingers in yer ears,' she warned Donna and Lance.

She never heard Donna say what for as the Doctor jammed the screwdriver into the deck, and the resulting harmonics shook the robots to pieces.

* * *

'Harvest the humans! Reduce them to meat,' the large spider Empress of the Racnoss said. 'My children are climbing towards me and none shall stop them. So you might as well unmask, my clever little doctor man,' she said to one of the robots that was climbing the stairs.

'Oh well. Nice try,' the Doctor said, removing the cloak and mask he'd acquired from a robot he'd disabled. He took his sonic screwdriver out of his pocket.

'I've got you two!' he shouted to Rose and Donna, who had been captured by the robots and spun into the web over the pit by the Empress. He pointed the sonic screwdriver at them and activated it. The web started to give way.

'I'm going to fall!' Donna said.

'He won't let us fall. Just hold onto that web strand and don't let go. Trust me,' Rose said.

'You're going to swing!' he called to them, confirming Rose's trust in him. 'I've got you!'

Rose had done this before, and gracefully swung across the pit and held her legs out in front of her.

'Spiderman, Spiderman. Does what ever a spider can,' she sang as she cleared the stair rail and dropped into the Doctor's arms. He wrapped his left arm around her waist to steady her as her high heeled shoes landed on the platform.

He held his right arm out to catch Donna, but she disappeared under the platform. He winced as he heard her hit the floor with a clang.

'Oh. Sorry,' he said as he and Rose looked over the railing.

'Thanks-for-nothing,' Donna said angrily.

'You all right?' Rose asked in concern. 'I'd better go down and see if she's okay.' She carefully made her way down the stairs, worried in case her stiletto heels stuck in the grating.

'The doctor man amuses me,' the Empress hissed.

The Doctor looked down at her. 'Empress of the Racnoss, I give you one last chance. I can find you a planet. I can find you and your children a place in the universe to co-exist. Take that offer and end this now.'

'These men are so funny,' she said in amusement.

'He's serious,' Rose said as she helped Donna up off the floor. 'You'd better think about what he said.'

'What's your answer?' the Doctor demanded.

'Oh I'm afraid I have to decline.'

'Oh no, I was afraid she'd say that,' said Rose sadly.

'What happens next is your own doing,' he announced.

'I'll show you what happens next,' the Empress said angrily.

'Why, what happens next?' Donna asked Rose.

'At arms!' The row of robots along the walkway raised their weapons.

'Usually somethin' bad . . . somethin' very bad.'

'Take aim!' The robots pointed their guns at the three of them. Rose and Donna hugged, closing their eyes and waiting for the inevitable.

'And . . .' They tensed up, feeling each other tremble with fear.

'. . . Relax.,' the Doctor finished for her as the robots slumped forwards.

Rose opened her eyes and saw Donna looking at her with one eye. They were alive! She looked up to the Doctor. 'What did you do?'

'Guess what I've got?' he said pulling the bronze control unit out of his jacket pocket. 'Pockets.'

'How did that fit in there?' Donna asked.

'His pockets are bigger on the inside,' Rose informed her.

'They're bigger on the inside,' he echoed, and then looked miffed that Rose had beaten him to it.

Rose beamed a smile at him. 'You still got my bag in one of those?'

'Oh yes. Plenty of room.'

The Empress interrupted their conversation.

'Roboforms are not necessary. My children may feast on Martian flesh.'

'Oh, but I'm not from Mars,' he said in a quiet, cold, emotionless voice that sent a shiver down Rose's spine. She knew what was coming next.

'Then where?'

'My home planet is far away and long since gone . . . but its name lives on . . . Gallifrey.'

The Empress reared up on her eight legs and roared. 'They murdered the Racnoss!'

'I warned you. You did this,' he told her in the same cold voice. He took some Christmas tree decorations from another of his bigger-on-the-inside pockets.

'No! No! Don't! No!' the Empress implored, but it was too late. She'd had her chance, and one was all she got.

The Doctor threw the baubles into the air then used the remote to direct them. He used some to blow holes in the tunnel walls, letting the water of the Thames flood in.

The rest of the baubles surrounded the Empress and exploded. Fires broke out, and manhole covers burst under the pressure. Water flooded into the lair and down the hole. They could hear alien screams coming out of the pit.

Rose's eyes filled with tears. They were just children. It wasn't their fault that their mother hadn't listened to the Doctor and taken his offer.

'No!' The Empress wailed. 'No! My children! No! My children! My children!'

'Doctor! What have you done?' Rose cried out. She looked up to the platform and saw his face, which made her sob even more. He knew what he'd done. He'd been forced into one of those terrible situations again. A situation where he had to choose between two evils, neither choice being the right one. A situation where it wasn't possible to get it right.

'Doctor!' Donna called quietly. 'You can stop now!'

'My children!' the Empress wailed.

The Doctor regained his composure, shutting out the horror of what he had just been forced to do. 'Come on. Time I got you two out.'


	3. Smith, Tyler and Jones

**Chapter 3**

 **Smith, Tyler and Jones**

The Doctor parked the TARDIS in the street opposite Donna's parent's house. Rose led Donna out of the TARDIS.

'Shame about the dress,' Rose said, looking at the bedraggled gown and its wearer.

'Well, it doesn't look like I'll be needin' it anytime soon.'

'There we go,' the Doctor said, closing the door and inspecting the woodwork. 'Told you she'd be all right. She can survive anything.'

'More than I've done,' Donna said quietly.

'Hey, you'll be all right,' Rose said, rubbing her arm to try and console her.

The Doctor took out his sonic screwdriver and gave her a quick scan. 'No, all the Huon particles have gone. No damage, you're fine.'

'Yeah, but apart from that, I missed my wedding, lost my job and became a widow on the same day. Sort of.'

'I couldn't save him,' he said sadly.

'He deserved it,' she said, and both Rose and the Doctor looked at her as though they didn't believe her. 'No, he didn't . . . I'd better get inside. They'll be worried.'

They looked past her to her home and saw Sylvia and Geoff hug each other.

'Best Christmas present they could have,' Rose said with a smile.

'Oh, no. I forgot you hate Christmas. She hates Christmas,' the Doctor reminded Rose.

'Yes, I do.'

'I love it,' Rose said, hugging the Doctor's arm. 'Especially last Christmas . . .' but then came the realisation that last Christmas really was her last Christmas. Her mum, Mickey, and the flat had gone now, forever.

'What about if it snows?' he asked her, reaching inside the TARDIS and pulling a lever. The TARDIS lamp turned yellow and fired off a bolt of energy into the sky. There was an instant snow shower.

'I can't believe you did that!' said Donna, open mouthed.

'Hah! I didn't know you could do that,' Rose laughed.

'Oh, basic atmospheric excitation. You'd have me doing it all the time if I'd have told you.'

'Too right I would, I love snow.'

'Merry Christmas,' Donna wished them with a lopsided smile.

'Merry Christmas,' Rose beamed back at her.

'And you,' he said to Donna. 'So, what will you do with yourself now?'

'Not getting married, for starters. And I'm not going to temp anymore. I don't know. Travel. See a bit more of planet Earth. Walk in the dust. Just go out there and do something.'

'That's what I wanted to do before I met HIM,' Rose told her. She looked up at him and nodded towards Donna. 'Doctor?'

He caught her meaning. 'Well, you could always . . .'

'What?'

'Come with us, there's plenty of room.'

Donna shook her head. 'No.'

'Okay,' he said disappointedly.

'Oh go on,' Rose pleaded.

'I can't.'

The Doctor looked down at Rose. 'No, that's fine.'

'No, but really. Everything we did today. Do you live your lives like that?'

'Not all the time,' he said.

'Most of the time we're havin' fun,' Rose told her. 'Days like this are just the bits in between.'

Donna wasn't swallowing that. 'I think you do. And I couldn't.'

'But you've seen it out there. It's beautiful,' Rose said.

'And it's terrible. That place was flooding and burning and they were dying, and you were stood there like, I don't know, a stranger. And then you made it snow. I mean, you scare me to death.'

'I know what you mean,' Rose said. 'He goes over the top sometimes, and I have to reel him in, keep him grounded.'

He looked at Rose with raised eyebrows. 'Right.'

'Tell you what I will do, though. Christmas dinner . . . Oh, come on.'

He looked down at Rose, who was remembering last Christmas, with her mum, and Mickey. The last Christmas she would ever have with her family. It would all be too much for her; she shook her head.

'We don't do that sort of thing,' he told her

'You did it last year. You said so. And you might as well, because Mum always cooks enough for twenty.'

'Yeah, but that was last year. A lot can happen in a year,' he said.

'I'm sorry Donna. Now is not a good time for Christmas for us,' Rose told her.

Donna sighed and shrugged. 'Am I ever going to see you again?'

'If we're lucky,' he said.

Rose hugged her before turning away and joining the Doctor in the TARDIS. The wheezing and grating noise of the engines began and then the TARDIS shot straight up into the night sky before vanishing.

* * *

Martha Jones walked along Chancellor Street from the bus stop towards the hospital, answering a number of calls from her family about her younger brother's 21st birthday party that evening. As usual, everybody was getting stressed about her father bringing his latest girlfriend, and expected her to have all the answers.

Without warning, a cute blonde wearing a purple hoodie and blue jeans jumped out in front of her and said, 'Taa-Daa', doing "jazz hands". A tall, thin man with sticky up hair, wearing a brown pin striped suit and long brown coat stood beside her.

'Oh this is SO cool,' the blonde said with a mischievous laugh.

'Like so,' the man said, looking at her as though he knew her, and was making some kind of point as he removed his tie. 'See?'

'Oh now look, your collar's all up,' the blonde said. She took the tie off him and put it over her head and around her own neck, before turning down his shirt collar and smoothing down the lapels on his jacket. 'There, that's better.' She gave him a kiss on the cheek.

The couple left as suddenly as they had arrived, and Martha gave them a puzzled look. Obviously they must have been heading for the Mental Health Outpatients Department.

* * *

Rose pushed the empty wheelchair down the hospital corridor, heading for the ward where the Doctor was pretending to be a patient. She was pretending to be a porter, and the Doctor told her if she walked around with a wheelchair, no one would pay any attention to her.

Suddenly, the corridor lurched from side to side, throwing patients and staff around. Rose abandoned the chair and leant against the wall to steady herself. 'Here we go again,' she said with a big grin.

'All right now, everyone back to bed, we've got an emergency but we'll sort it out. Don't worry,' Martha told the patients as she entered the ward.

The Doctor drew the curtain around his bed as Rose entered the ward, whilst Martha and another medical student named Swales went to the window.

Martha looked out over a dark, desolate, cratered plain that stretched to the brightly illuminated mountains in the distance. The Earth was hanging in the black sky like a bauble. 'It's real. It's really real.' She reached to open the window. 'Hold on.'

The young medical student Swales grabbed her arm to stop her. 'Don't! We'll lose all the air.'

'But they're not exactly air tight. If the air was going to get sucked out it would have happened straight away, but it didn't. So how come?' Martha asked.

'Very good point,' the Doctor said as he stepped from behind the curtain where he'd got dressed. 'Brilliant, in fact.'

'Oh, wotcha,' Rose said. 'Feelin' better are we?' She gave him a cheeky smile.

'I am now,' he said, nodding at the view outside the window. They walked over to the window.

'What was your name?' he asked the medical student who had shown some intelligence.

'Martha.'

'And it was Jones, wasn't it?' he recalled from the ward round. 'Well then, Martha Jones, the question is, how are we still breathing?'

'We can't be,' Swales said.

'Obviously we are, so don't waste my time,' he said sharply.

'Doctor. Rude!' Rose reprimanded him.

He gave her a withering look. Stuff was happening and time was short. 'Martha, what have we got? Is there a balcony on this floor, or a veranda, or . . .'

'By the patients' lounge, yeah.'

'Brilliant! Come on Rose; let's see if we can find out who's behind all this.'

'But Mister. Smith, who exactly are you, and what's going on?' Martha asked as they headed for the door.

He turned to look at her. 'I'm not Mister Smith, I'm the Doctor. This is Rose, and we're going to find out and sort it. So if you can just keep everyone calm and out of our way I'd appreciate it.'

He turned to Rose. 'Was that rude?'

'Nah, I don't think so. Authoritative and a bit abrupt, but not rude.'

'Oh, getting better then,' he said with a cheeky grin.

They set off for the patient lounge, and Rose bumped shoulders with the Doctor. 'I like her,' she said, nodding back at the ward.

'What, medical student Jones? Yeah, she's not bad is she.'

'Pretty as well,' Rose teased.

'Really? I hadn't noticed,' he said, pulling his innocent face. 'Not with you standing there anyway.'

'Ahh, that's lovely.' She held his hand and hugged his arm. 'Thank you.'

They opened the glass doors and stepped out onto the balcony that would normally have overlooked the Thames. Both of them took a deep breath.

'We've got air. Is that like the TARDIS then?' Rose reasoned, and he gave her a proud grin with a waggle of his eyebrows.

'Let's have a look. There must be some sort of . . .' He threw a coin over the balcony. '. . . Force field keeping the air in.'

'But if that's like a bubble sealin' us in, that means this is the only air we've got. What happens when it runs out?'

'How many people do you reckon are in this hospital?'

'I don't know. A thousand maybe?'

'One thousand people suffocating.'

'Why would anyone do that?'

'Head's up!' he said, looking up to the black sky. 'Ask them yourself.'

They watched as three massive columnar spaceships passed overhead, and then landed on the plain nearby. Columns of marching beings came stomping out.

'Who are those guys then?'

'Judoon.'

* * *

The Doctor and Rose watched from the first floor of the Mezzanine, as the Rhinoceros soldiers entered the hospital and started cataloguing the people in the reception area below.

'Oh, look down there; they've got a little shop. I like a little shop,' he said.

'I know, you said back at the Sisters of Plenitude hospital, but never mind that. What are Judoon?'

'They're like police. Well, police for hire. They're more like interplanetary thugs.'

'And they brought the hospital to the moon?'

'Neutral territory. According to galactic law, they've got no jurisdiction over the Earth, and they isolated it. That rain, lightning? That was them, using an H2O scoop.'

'If they're police, are we under arrest? Are we trespassin' on the moon or somethin'?'

'No, but I like that. Good thinking. No, I wish it were that simple. They're making a catalogue. That means they're after something non human, which is very bad news for me.'

They made their way to an administration office where the Doctor used his sonic screwdriver on a computer.

'Oh, this computer! The Judoon must have locked it down. Judoon platoon upon the moon.'

'But what are they lookin' for?'

'Something that looks human, but isn't.'

'Like Slitheen, or you, you mean.'

'Well, might be Slitheen, or a shape-changer.'

'Whatever it is, can't we just leave the Judoon to find it?'

'If they declare the hospital guilty of harbouring a fugitive, they'll sentence it to execution.'

'All of us?!'

'Oh yes. If I can find this thing first.' He slapped the screen in frustration. 'Ohhh . . . ! You see, they're thick! Judoon are thick! They are completely thick! They wiped the records . . . Oh, that's clever.'

'What are we looking for?'

'I don't know. Say, any patient admitted in the past week with unusual symptoms. Maybe there's a back-up.'

'Well then, it's handy being a porter. You get to go everywhere, find out who's who and what's what. Stoker's the consultant on take this week. Good doctor, but apparently a bit of a knob. Just keep working. I'll go see if I can find him, he might know.'

The Doctor looked up from the computer with a look of surprised admiration. 'Rose Tyler, you just keep getting better and better.'

Rose didn't know where Stoker's office was, so she went to the ward where Martha was working to ask her.

'It's on this floor. Come on, I'll show you.' She set off along a corridor. 'Do you know anything about these rhinoceros creatures that people are talking about?'

'Oh don't worry, you'll meet 'em soon enough. They're called Judoon, a sort of mercenary police force. They're looking for someone,' Rose explained.

'Who?'

'Dunno. That's why I need to speak to Mister Stoker, see if he knows of any patients that were admitted with unusual symptoms.'

They stopped outside a wooden door with a thin glass panel on one side.

'This is his office,' Martha said as she knocked on the door. 'Mister Stoker?' she called out as she stepped inside with Rose close behind.

On the floor, they saw a pair of feet sticking out from behind the desk, with two black helmeted motorcycle men standing still in the corner of the office. An elderly woman patient kneeling behind the desk straightened up, sucking on a drinking straw. Both Martha and Rose had seen the woman on the ward earlier.

From her previous experience of these sorts of things, Rose knew that this was one of those "not good" sorts of thing. She grabbed Martha's hand. 'Run!'

'Kill them!' the woman ordered, and the two motorcyclists set off after the retreating women.

Rose and Martha ran down the corridor and bumped into the Doctor.

'I've restored the back-up,' he told Rose.

'We've found her,' Rose told him.

'You did what?'

'The shape-changer, it's an old woman.'

At that moment, the motorcycle men broke down Stoker's office door.

'Run!' the Doctor shouted.

'We know,' Rose shouted back.

They ran down the stairs, but met Judoon coming up, so diverted onto another floor, followed by a motorcycle man. They ran into an x-ray room and the Doctor sonicked the door lock. They hid behind the radiation screen.

The Doctor took out his sonic screwdriver in preparation. 'When I say now, press the button,' he told them, nodding at the console.

'Okay. What are you gonna do?' Rose said.

'Something clever to stop them.' He started messing with the x-ray machine while Martha got the Operator's Manual from the shelf and started reading.

'I don't think that'll help,' said Rose. 'He's never seemed the kinda bloke that would read the instructions. Y'know, he just seems to wing it most of the time.

'We need to find the button that activates the x-rays,' said Martha.

Rose looked at the console. 'Wouldn't be that one with the radiation symbol on it, would it?'

The motorcyclist outside was battering the door off its hinges. Eventually, the door gave way, and he got in. The Doctor pointed the x-ray machine at him.

'NOW!'

Rose put her thumb on the button and held it down. The leather-clad man fell face down, having received a massive dose of radiation. Rose took her thumb off the button.

'What did you do?' asked Martha.

'Increased the radiation by five thousand per cent. Killed him dead.'

'But isn't that going to kill you?' Martha said worriedly.

Rose rushed forwards in concern. 'Doctor, are you all right . . . you're not goin' to regenerate or anythin' are you?'

'Regenerate?' asked Martha.

He held her hand to reassure her. 'Nah, it's only roentgen radiation. We used to play with roentgen bricks in the nursery. I've absorbed it all. All I need to do is expel it. If I concentrate I can shake the radiation out of my body and into one spot. It's in my left shoe. Here we go, here we go. Easy does it. Out, out, out, out, out. Out, out. Ah, ah, ah, ah! It is, it is, it is, it is, it is hot. Hold on.'

After a lot of jigging about, the Doctor threw his converse into the bin. 'Done.'

'You're completely mad,' Martha told him.

'Tell me about it,' Rose said.

'You're right. I look daft with one shoe,' he grinned, and took the other converse off as well. 'Barefoot on the moon.

'So what is that thing?' Rose asked.

'And where's it from, the planet Zovirax?' Martha added, referring to an advert she'd seen for a cold sore treatment.

'It's just a Slab. They're called Slabs. Basic slave drones. See? Solid leather, all the way through. Someone has got one hell of a fetish.'

'But it was that woman, Miss Finnegan. It was working for her, just like a servant, Martha explained.

The Doctor went to retrieve his sonic screwdriver from the x-ray machine, but it had been totally fried.

'My sonic screwdriver!' he exclaimed in surprise.

Martha was still trying to explain. 'She was one of the patients, but . . .'

'Oh, no. My sonic screwdriver,' he moaned.

'She had a straw like some kind of vampire,' Rose added.

'I loved my sonic screwdriver.'

'I hope you're not gonna need it,' said Rose.

'Doctor?' Martha said, trying to get him to listen to her.

'Sorry.' He threw the screwdriver into the bin. 'You called me Doctor,' he suddenly realised. He must have gone up in her estimation.

'Anyway? Miss Finnegan is the alien. She was drinking Mister Stoker's blood.'

'Funny time to take a snack. You'd think she'd be hiding. Unless. No. Yes, that's it. Wait a minute. Yes! Shape-changer. Internal shape-changer. She wasn't drinking blood, she was assimilating it. If she can assimilate Mister Stoker's blood, mimic the biology, she'll register as human. We've got to find her and show the Judoon. Come on!'

The Doctor, Rose and Martha were crouching by the water dispenser as the other Slab walked down the corridor. 'That's the thing about Slabs. They always travel in pairs.'

'A bit like you and Rose then,' Martha observed.

'Oh. Humans. We're stuck on the moon running out of air with Judoon and a bloodsucking criminal, you're making personal observations? Come on.'

'What do you mean, Humans? Are you trying to tell me you're aliens?' Martha asked him.

'Oi! Not me. I'm a London girl, born and bred,' announced Rose.

They stood up and stepped into the corridor, straight into a Judoon with it's scanner in it's hand.

'Non-human.'

'Oh my God, you really are,' Martha realised.

'Here we go again,' said Rose.

They ran down the corridor, and managed to get around the corner before the Judoon fired their weapons and three red beams narrowly missed them. The chase was on. They ran up the stairs and into another corridor where people started to slump to the floor.

'They've done this floor. Come on. The Judoon are logical and just a little bit thick. They won't go back to check a floor they've checked already. If we're lucky.'

'She's gone,' Martha said as they entered Stoker's office.

'She was here,' Rose confirmed, as she followed the Doctor over to Stoker's pale faced body.

The Doctor examined the body. 'Drained him dry. Every last drop. I was right. She's a plasmavore.'

'What's she doing on Earth?' Rose asked, looking over his shoulder.

'Hiding . . . On the run. Like Ronald Biggs in Rio de Janeiro. What's she doing now? She's still not safe. The Judoon could execute us all. Come on.'

Martha stooped down by Stoker's body. 'Wait a minute.' She closed Stoker's eyes.

'Think, think, think. If I was a plasmavore surrounded by police, what would I do?' he asked himself as they walked along the corridor. And then he saw the sign for the MRI department.

'Ah. She's as clever as me . . . Almost.'

Suddenly, the doors of the corridor crashed open, and the Judoon marched through, causing people to shout and scream. 'Find the non-human. Execute.'

The Doctor grabbed Rose's shoulders. 'Rose, stay here. I need time. You've got to hold them up.'

'I'll do my best, but I'll need some kind of distraction.'

'Right,' he said and gently held her cheeks. He kissed her full on the lips, not a quick peck, but a full on snog. It was supposed to be a genetic transfer, something that would delay the Judoon while they did a full scan. It quickly turned into something else, something wonderful.

Rose felt it . . . felt him; the thrill she felt when he held her hand, but magnified a hundredfold. She wrapped an arm around his waist and his shoulders and pulled him closer. He didn't resist, instead he increased the pressure of his lips on hers, their tongues seeking out each others.

Martha looked on in open mouthed amazement, as their lips finally separated and they gazed into each others eyes.

'When I said a distraction,' Rose said dreamily, 'I meant for the Judoon, not me.'

The Doctor grinned at her. 'Rose Tyler, you are a continual distraction to me. The Judoon are going to find you irresistible.'

* * *

A troop of Judoon entered the MRI suite to find Florence Finnegan sucking away on the Doctor's neck. The Slab dropped him on the floor as Florence hid her straw in her handbag.

'Now see what you've done. This poor man just died of fright,' Florence said.

'Scan him . . . Confirmation . . . Deceased,' the Judoon announced.

Rose and Martha rushed in, and Rose's breath caught in her chest as she saw the unmoving Doctor on the floor. She tried to push past the Judoon troops, but they held her and Martha firmly by their shoulders.

'No, he can't be. Let me through. Let me see him,' Rose cried out.

'Stop. Case closed,' the Judoon said without emotion.

'But it was her. She killed him. She did it. She murdered him,' Martha shouted in frustration.

'Judoon have no authority over human crime,' the dispassionate alien said.

'But she's not human,' Rose cried, tears running down her cheeks.

'Oh, but I am. I've been catalogued.' Florence held up her hand to show them the cross drawn on her hand.

Martha struggled against the Judoon. 'But she's not! She assimi . . . Wait a minute. You drank his blood? The Doctor's blood?' Martha remembered what he'd said about plasmavores. She grabbed a Judoon scanner and pointed it at Florence.

'Oh, I don't mind. Scan all you like,' Florence said, unconcerned.

'Non-human,' the Judoon declared.

'But . . . what?'

'Confirm analysis.'

'Oh, but it's a mistake, surely. I'm human. I'm as human as they come.'

Rose realised what the Doctor had done. 'He gave his life so they'd find you.'

'Confirm. Plasmavore, charged with the crime of murdering the child princess of Patrival Regency Nine.'

'Well, she deserved it! Those pink cheeks and those blonde curls and that simpering voice. She was begging for the bite of a plasmavore.'

'Then you confess?'

'Confess? I'm proud of it! Slab, stop them!' Florence ducked behind the slab and ran behind the control panel. The slab moved forward, and the Judoon reduced it to ash with their weapons.

'Verdict, guilty. Sentence, execution.'

Florence plugged in a cable to the MRI scanner and the Magnetic Overload sign came on. 'Enjoy your victory, Judoon, because you're going to burn with me. Burn in hell!'

The four Judoon all fired and incinerated Florence.

'Case closed.'

Rose rushed forward and knelt beside the Doctor, shaking his shoulders. 'Doctor? Doctor. Come on, talk to me. Wake up.'

'But what did she mean, burn with me? The scanner shouldn't be doing that. She's done something,' Martha said to the Judoon commander.

The Judoon scanned the MRI machine. 'Scans detect lethal acceleration of monomagnetic pulse.'

'Doctor, please. Don't do this to me. We need you . . . I need you,' Rose pleaded, tears stinging her eyes. 'Don't you dare pull that regeneration trick again, d'ya hear me? You're fine just the way you are.'

Martha was momentarily distracted by what Rose said. What the hell was she on about? 'Well, do something! Stop it!' Martha shouted at the commander.

'Our jurisdiction has ended. Judoon will evacuate.'

Rose grabbed the lapels of the Doctor's blue jacket and shook him in desperation. 'DOCTOR! You can't leave me like this, you're all I've got left. I . . .' did she dare tell him how she really felt? Of course she did, it might be her last chance. 'I love you.'

Martha was dumbfounded at the Judoon. 'What? You can't just leave it. What's it going to do?

'All units withdraw.' The Judoon troops turned about face as one and started to march out of the MRI suite.

Martha followed them into the corridor. 'You can't go! That thing's going to explode and it's your fault!'

'MARTHA?! Please, Help him. I don't know what to do,' Rose cried out. Tears dripping from her cheeks onto the Doctor's jacket.

Martha turned her attention from the retreating Judoon, and realised that there was a corpse and a grieving partner. She walked over and knelt down beside Rose, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder.

'I'm sorry Rose, it's too late. The blood loss was too great, he didn't have enough to maintain his blood pressure and his heart stopped . . . I'm afraid he's dead.'

'No he's not! He's an alien. You'd know if he was dead, 'cos there'd be this golden mist . . . this light.

'Really? That must mean that the Judoon scans were wrong.' Martha was suddenly galvanised into action.

'Do you know how to do CPR?' she asked Rose.

Rose nodded hesitantly. 'We were shown in first aid trainin' when I started at Henrick's, but I've never had to do it.'

'Well now's your chance. Tilt his head back, pinch his nose, and blow two gentle breaths into his mouth.'

Rose did as she was instructed, and saw the Doctor's chest rise and fall twice.

'One, two, three, four, five . . .' Martha started to count to thirty as she compressed the Doctor's chest. When she reached thirty, she had Rose do two more breaths. 'Here, do the chest compressions. Thirty to the tune "Staying Alive".'

Rose looked at her in disbelief. This was not the time for bad jokes.

'I know! Ironic. But the rhythm is perfect.' Rose started pushing on his chest as Martha got up and ran over to the resuscitation trolley. She started explaining; to herself mainly so that she worked through her diagnosis and came up with the correct treatment.

'Florence . . . The plasmavore,' she corrected herself, 'was interrupted, so she didn't drain him completely like she did Mister Stoker. That means he's in hypovolaemic shock.'

She opened draws and took out cannulas, adhesive dressings, an intravenous giving set, and a bag of Hartmann's solution. She noticed a bottle of portable oxygen in the large bottom drawer, and grabbed that as well.

She ran back over and knelt down again, pushing up the Doctor's sleeve. 'So anyway, I doubt if I'll get a cross-match for his alien blood, so I'll have to bulk up what blood he's got left with Hartmann's.' She pulled a tourniquet tight around his elbow and opened a cannula packet. 'His biochemistry is probably different to ours, but I'm guessing that his physiology is like any other animal.'

She took a deep breath to calm her shaking hand, and hit the vein first go. 'Yes!' She fixed the cannula with the dressing, and opened the giving set. She forced the spike into the connector on the bag of fluid and connected the other end to the cannula.

'I reckon the plasmavore had time to drink a couple of litres, so a couple of litres of this should give him a fighting chance.' She stood up and started squeezing the bag of fluid into his veins.

'Live, live, live, live, stayin' alive, stayin' alive,' Rose muttered like a mantra as she pounded on his chest. 'Oh please let this work.' She looked up at Martha. 'I can't lose him . . . I've lost everythin' else. Please don't let me lose him as well.'

Martha squeezed the last of the fluid into the tubing and staggered back to get another bag. She connected the new bag and squeezed again, her vision started to blur. She was becoming hypoxic. She reached the oxygen bottle, set the flow rate to four litres a minute, and took a big lungful from the mask before handing it to Rose.

'Here, take a lungful of this before you do the breaths, it'll help him. Rose breathed in the oxygen and then sealed her lips against his and blew. She took another lungful of oxygen and sealed her lips around his again, and . . . he kissed her.

'Mmmmph,' she mumbled as the kiss of life from her, became the kiss of gratitude from him. The hand that was holding his chin drifted up and stroked his cheek. The fingers that were pinching his nose ran through his unruly hair.

The Doctor's hand reached up and caressed the back of her neck. There was a wet "smack" of lips as he ended the kiss and flopped back onto the floor. His eyes flickered open and he smiled at her.

'It worked then,' Martha said breathlessly, with a wry smile. She sank to her knees and keeled over.

'Hi,' he breathed at Rose.

'Hi yerself,' she sobbed with relief, swaying on the edge of consciousness.

He ran his tongue around his lips. 'Mmmm. Twice in one day. Rose Tyler, this is becoming a habit.'

'Here,' Martha gasped, crawling over to him and putting the mask over his mouth. 'Don't talk, just breath . . . deep,' she wheezed, short of breath herself.

He breathed in . . . and in . . . and in . . . "How big are this guys lungs?" was the last thing Martha could remember thinking to herself, before passing out.

'Badaboom!' he shouted and looked around. 'What's that noise?'

'The scanner . . . She did something,' Rose breathed before passing out herself.

St Elmo's fire was playing all over the hospital as the Doctor crawled to the scanner controls. He checked his pockets before realising he didn't have his sonic screwdriver any more. 'Soddit.'

He reached up and pulled apart the cables that Florence had plugged together and the scanner turned off. His respiratory bypass was working overtime as he picked up Rose and carried her down the corridor to the window in the ward where they had first looked out over the lunar landscape.

'Come on, come on, come on, come on, please. Come on, Judoon, reverse it, he said to the departing ships. And then, it started to rain.

'It's raining, Rose,' he said with a big grin. 'It's raining on the moon.


	4. Loves Labour's Lost

**Chapter 4**

 **Loves Labour's Lost  
**

'There we are, a brand new sonic. The TARDIS assembled it for me . . . brand new operating system with all the applications and subroutines restored from a backup,' the Doctor said as he entered the kitchen.

'Y'know, I've been thinkin',' Rose said as she sat at the breakfast table with a cup of tea.

'Well, there's a first time for everything,' he said with a cheeky grin as he sat down and picked up the cup Rose had just poured for him.

'Oi! Watch it,' she said with a grin of her own. 'No, it was about Martha Jones. I passed out before I got chance to thank her for saving your life.'

'From what I remember, you had a big part to play in that yourself.'

Rose gulped. What did he remember about being dead? Had he heard anything she had said? 'Me? Y'mean you were still aware of things while you were dead?'

'Sort of . . . vaguely. It was like being in a dream state. I remember someone pumping my chest and breathing life into my lungs. Now Martha's a medical student, she has the skills to put a cannula in my arm. To assemble an intravenous drip and administer a volume of fluid into my bloodstream. While she was doing that, someone else had to be keeping me alive.' He looked up at her and gave her a warm smile. 'Thank you,' he said quietly.

'You'd have done the same for me,' she said, trying to be dismissive, but feeling proud and relieved that she'd done it. 'So, wouldn't it be nice if we could do somethin' for her as a way of sayin' thank you.'

'What you got in mind?'

'I dunno . . . what about a trip in the TARDIS?'

He gave her a questioning look. 'Invite her into the TARDIS?'

Rose saw the look and smiled. 'Now I know I like you all to myself in here, but it's nice to have guests over now and again. It'd be a sort of once around the block for her.'

'I like the sound of that,' he said with a smile. 'Drink up and we'll go and find her.'

Rose did a bit of searching of the social networks on the internet and found Martha Jones. It was quite easy then to find her family. She had an elder sister Tish, and a younger brother Leo. Her parents Clive and Francine had split up, and her father was dating a younger woman called Annalise. From all the blogging that was going on about her father and his floosie, it was easy to find out where they were having the party.

'People put all this stuff about themselves on a global computer network?' the Doctor said in amazement as he looked over her shoulder at the console monitor.

'Yeah, we're very sociable animals us humans.'

'No wonder aliens love to invade Earth. You tell them everything they need to know about you, and give them a smiley face while you do it. LOL.'

Rose looked concerned. 'Is it a problem? Should we warn someone?'

He rubbed the back of his neck. 'Nah. Like most things, it's a double edged sword. How is anyone going to sneak up on you when you're all blogging and gossiping about anything and everything? Right, The Market Tavern. Let's go and offer medical student Jones a reward for her brilliant, life saving efforts.'

Outside the Market Tavern, it all seemed to be kicking off and getting very domestic. The Doctor and Rose were standing at the end of an alleyway down the street, watching as a leggy blonde stormed out of the party.

'That'll be the floosie,' the Doctor deduced.

'You can't call her that,' Rose told him.

'Why not? Everybody else is on the Jones's blog.'

'I am not staying in there to be insulted!' Annalise shouted.

A dark skinned man hurried out after her. 'She didn't mean it, sweetheart. She was just saying you look healthy.'

'Ah, that's Clive; her dad.' said Rose.

A stern looking dark skinned woman had followed them onto the street. 'No, I did not. I said orange.'

'Oof. That's got to be the mother, Francine,' the Doctor said with a wince. 'Remind you of anyone?'

'No,' replied Rose, a little too quickly and sharply. She knew exactly who he was thinking of and what he was implying.

'Clive, that woman is disrespecting me. She's never liked me,' Annalise whined.

'Oh, I can't think why, after you stole my husband.'

They saw Martha come through the door, followed by a young man, who they assumed was the birthday boy, and a young lady that must have been her sister.

'I was seduced. I'm entirely innocent. Tell her, babe.'

'And then she has a go at Martha, practically accused her of making the whole thing up,' Francine continued.

'Mum, I don't mind. Just leave it,' Martha said, trying to diffuse the situation.

'Oh. I've been to the moon! As if,' Annalise said with a head wobble of attitude. 'They were drugged. It said so on the news.'

'Since when did you watch the news? You can't handle Quiz Mania,' Francine spat back.

'Annalise started it. She did. I heard her,' said Tish.

Leo rolled his eyes. 'Tish, don't make it worse.'

'Oh, come off it, Leo. What did she buy you? Soap. A seventy five pence soap,' Tish reminded him.

'Oh, I'm never talking to your family again!' Annalise said and stormed off.

'Oh, stay. Have a night out with Clive,' Francine said sarcastically.

'Don't you dare. I'm putting my foot down,' Clive told Annalise.

'You coming?' she asked him as she walked away.

'This is me, putting my foot down,' Clive claimed, and then went after her

'Doing it for the last twenty five years!' Francine said.

'Please,' Clive pleaded as they disappeared down the street.

'Clive, stop, now!' Francine demanded, but he didn't so she turned and stormed off in the opposite direction.

Tish went after her. 'Mum, don't. I . . .'

Leo went after Annalise and Clive, which left Martha on her own outside the tavern. She glanced down the street and saw the Doctor and Rose standing on the corner of the alleyway. He had his hands in his pockets, and Rose had her arm linked through his. He gave her a lopsided smile and Rose waved with her fingers, before they turned away and disappeared down the alleyway.

Martha hurried across the road and set off to find them. She walked down the alley and turned the corner where she found them leaning against a blue wooden box, still arm in arm.

'I went to the moon today,' she told them as she approached.

'You and me both,' Rose said with a smile.

'A bit more peaceful than down here,' he observed, looking in the direction she had come from.

'I've been millions of light-years to the back of beyond, but I'd never been to the moon before,' Rose told her.

'You never even told me who you are.'

Yes he had. He distinctly remembered telling her. 'The Doctor, and Rose,' he reminded her.

'What sort of species? It's not every day I get to ask that.'

'I told you I'm from Peckham,' Rose said. 'I'm human. And the Doctor, he's . . .'

'I'm a Time Lord.'

'Right! Not pompous at all, then.' Rose snorted a laugh. She'd liked Martha when she'd first met her, and was liking her more and more.

'We just thought since you saved my life and I've got a brand new sonic screwdriver which needs road testing, you might fancy a trip.' He reached inside his jacket, took out the sonic and flipped it in the air as he spoke.

'What, into space?'

'Wellll . . .'

'But I can't. I've got exams. I've got things to do. I have to go into town first thing and pay the rent, I've got my family going mad.'

'I had that problem when he asked me to travel with him,' Rose told her. 'If it helps, He can travel in time as well.'

'Get out of here,' Martha said.

'I can.'

'The clue's in the name,' Rose added.

'Come on now, that's going too far.'

'We'll prove it,' he told her, and Rose opened the door to let them in.

The alleyway was filled with the sound of wheezing and grinding as the blue, wooden box slowly disappeared. Martha reached forwards to see if it was still there or if it had really gone. A few seconds later, she felt a breeze as the sound returned. She backed away, watching the blue, wooden box reappear out of thin air, until she bumped into a cylindrical bin behind her.

The Doctor stepped out of the TARDIS without a tie, and when Rose stepped out, she was wearing it around her head like a hippy. 'Told you,' he said, as Rose took the tie from around her head and put it back around his neck, turning down his collar and smoothing his lapels in a repeat of what Martha had witnessed that morning.

'No, but . . . that was this morning. Did you? . . . Oh, my God. You can travel in time,' she realised, and then realised something else. 'But hold on. If you could see me this morning, why didn't you tell me not to go in to work?'

'Tried that once, didn't end well that one,' Rose told her with a far away look in her eyes.

The Doctor tried to explain. 'Crossing into established events is strictly forbidden.'

'Except for cheap tricks,' Rose added with a grin.

'And that's your spaceship?' she asked, nodding at the wooden box.

'It's called the TARDIS,' said Rose.

'Time and Relative Dimension in Space,' he explained.

She walked forward and stroked the exterior. 'Your spaceship's made of wood.' She looked around the side. 'There's not much room. We'd be a bit intimate,' thinking she'd be a bit of a gooseberry with these two people who were obviously in love.

'Take a look,' he said, pushing open the door for her.

'Hang on,' Rose said, pushing past Martha and rushing inside. 'I love this bit.'

Martha stepped into the small wooden box and froze as she gazed at the cathedral like, vaulted ceiling of the console room. Rose had an enormous grin on her face. The Doctor followed Martha inside and leaned on the handrail.

'No, no, no.' Martha ran back out of the TARDIS and looked at it from the outside.

'But it's just a box . . . But it's huge,' she shouted from outside. The Doctor looked over to Rose and waggled his eyebrows.

She appeared at the doorway. 'How does it do that? It's wood. It's like a box with that room just rammed in.' and then she said it, the statement that never got old for the pair of them. 'It's bigger on the inside.'

Rose saw the Doctor mime the words and burst out laughing.

'Is it? I hadn't noticed,' he joked as he shut the door and ran up the ramp. He slipped off his long coat and threw it over the coral, before joining Rose at the console. 'Right then, let's get going.'

She looked at the huge interior and wondered. 'But is it just you two, or is there a crew, like a navigator and stuff?'

Nah, just us,' Rose said, smiling at the Doctor.

'Well, sometimes we have guests. I mean some friends, travelling alongside. So, just one trip to say thanks. You get one trip, then back home.'

Rose faced Martha and looked her in the eye. 'Thank you for what you did today, savin' his life and everythin'.' She held her arms out in invitation, and Martha accepted the hug.

'Well, then,' he said, causing the ladies to release their hug. 'Close down the gravitic anomaliser, fire up the helmic regulator. And finally, the hand brake. Ready?'

Rose nodded, but Martha looked unsure. 'No.'

'Oh trust me, you're gonna love this next bit,' Rose reassured her.

The Doctor pulled down a lever. 'Off we go.'

The TARDIS lurched as the Time Rotor started to pump up and down, throwing the Doctor onto the jump seat. Rose held onto the console with one hand, and caught Martha's elbow with the other, guiding her to the console.

'Blimey, it's a bit bumpy,' Martha said.

'Hah, tell me about it!' Rose laughed. 'Don't you just love it?'

The Doctor laughed. 'Welcome aboard, Miss Jones.'

'It's my pleasure, Mister Smith.'

The TARDIS was still rolling and bucking, and Martha was hanging on to the console for dear life. Rose was standing casually by the side of her, just steadying herself on the console. She'd got her space legs and was used to the motion. It was as if the TARDIS was like an excited child that couldn't wait to show off to someone new.

'But how do you travel in time? What makes it go?' Martha asked them.

'It has somethin' to do with somethin' called the Time Vortex,' Rose tried to explain with her limited understanding of the complex physics.

'Oh, let's take the fun and mystery out of everything. Martha, you don't want to know. It just does. Hold on tight.' He braced one leg up on the console.

Rose leant over the console and spread her arms as the TARDIS came to a sudden halt. Martha fell to the floor. Rose reached down and helped her to her feet, as the Doctor hurried around the console.

'Blimey. Do you have to pass a test to fly this thing?'

'Yes, and I failed it,' he said, as he grabbed his coat off the coral strut and threw Martha her smart purple leather jacket. 'Now, make the most of it. I promised you one trip, and one trip only.' He shrugged his coat on and went down the ramp to the doors. 'Outside this door, brave new world.'

'Where are we?' she asked uncertainly. Rose knew exactly how she was feeling and rubbed her arm and gave her a reassuring smile.

'Take a look,' he said, opening the door. 'After you.'

Martha stepped out onto a narrow, cobbled street with Elizabethan buildings on each side. Washing was hanging on lines below the overhanging eaves, where a woman was washing in a trough. People were walking to and fro as scruffy urchins ran around playing tag.

'Oh, you are kidding me. You are SO kidding me. Oh, my God, we did it. We travelled in time.'

The Doctor grinned and Rose laughed. They loved this bit. 'Yeah, isn't it brilliant?' Rose said, and then thought about a journey into the past she'd had before. 'Hang on, shouldn't we be wearin' different clothes or somethin'? Like I did in Cardiff.'

'Nah, not here. Very cosmopolitan. You've got people from all over the world, wearing all sorts of clothing.'

'Where are we? No, sorry. I got to get used to this whole new language. When are we?'

'Mind out,' the Doctor called out as he grabbed Martha's arm and pulled her back. A stream of human waste products poured down from a window above.

'Gardez l'eau!' someone shouted from the window, a little too late.

'Somewhere before the invention of the toilet anyway,' Rose observed. It certainly explained the smell that was coming from the street.

'Sorry about that,' the Doctor said.

Martha smiled. 'I've seen worse. I've worked the late night shift A+E. But are we safe? I mean, can we move around and stuff?'

'Of course we can. Why do you ask?' he asked.

'It's like in the films. You step on a butterfly, you change the future of the human race,' said Martha.

'Tell you what then, don't step on any butterflies. What have butterflies ever done to you?'

'Doctor, that's not what she means.' Rose thought he was being a bit flippant about something so important.

Martha continued her train of thought. 'What if, I don't know, what if I kill my grandfather?'

'Are you planning to?'

'No.'

'Well, then.'

'Doctor! Have you forgotten the 7th of November, 1987?' Rose asked him in an annoyed tone.

He saw the look on her face and stopped. She'd lost her father on that day, and he remembered how they'd tried to save him. He remembered how they couldn't save him and how she had comforted him as he died.

'Sorry,' he said quietly. He did get a bit carried away at times.

'What happened on that day?' Martha asked. She saw the pain in Rose's eyes when she looked at her.

'Let's just say that's the one that didn't end well,' is all Rose would say about that day.

Martha nodded, realising that something bad had happened which had painful memories for her. Trying to change the subject, she looked around 'And this is London?'

'I think so. Round about 1599.'

'Oh, but hold on. Am I all right? I'm not going to get carted off as a slave, am I?' Martha wondered. She'd seen those films were dark skinned people were traded as slaves, without any thought to their humanity.

'Why would they do that?' he asked, genuinely baffled by her comment.

'Not exactly white, in case you haven't noticed.'

Rose pointed at him with her thumb. 'He's not even human,' she said with a laugh, the awkwardness of a moment ago forgotten.

'Just walk about like you own the place. Works for me,' he declared. 'Besides, you'd be surprised. Elizabethan England, not so different from your time.'

'Oh, and entertainment. Popular entertainment for the masses. If I'm right, we're just down the river by Southwark, right next to . . .'

The Doctor started to run along from the south end of old London Bridge. Rose and Martha ran alongside him, past St Mary Ovarie which would become Southwark Cathedral, and stopped when they saw the magnificent edifice.

'Oh, yes, the Globe Theatre! Brand new. Just opened. Through, strictly speaking, it's not a globe, it's a tetradecagon. Fourteen sides. Containing the man himself.

'Whoa, you don't mean . . . Is Shakespeare in there?' Martha asked.

'Oh brilliant!' Rose exclaimed. 'D'ya think he'll be anythin' like Dickens?'

Martha gave her a quizzical look. 'Dickens?'

'Yeah, Charles Dickens. We met him a while back in Cardiff. He's a lovely man, like you'd imagine a favourite uncle would be like.'

'Let's find out shall we? Miss Jones, Miss Tyler will you accompany me to the theatre?' he asked, holding out his arms for them to take.

'Mister Smith, I will,' said Martha formally.

'Not 'alf,' Rose said, a bit more informally.

He looked at Martha and smiled. 'When you get home, you can tell everyone you've seen Shakespeare.'

'Then I could get sectioned.'

Rose laughed. She definitely liked Martha she decided.

* * *

'Hello! Excuse me, not interrupting, am I? Mister Shakespeare, isn't it?' the Doctor asked as he entered the Elephant Tavern, where Shakespeare had retired for the evening. After they had seen the performance of Loves Labour's Lost, Will had mentioned that his players would be performing Loves Labour's Won.

'Oh, no. No, no, no. Who let you in? No autographs. No, you can't have yourself sketched with me. And please don't ask where I get my ideas from. Thanks for the interest. Now be a good boy and shove . . .' Will stopped his rude rant when Rose and Martha walked in behind the Doctor, and stood either side of him.

'Hey, nonny nonny' Will said. 'Sit right down here next to me. You two get sewing on them costumes. Off you go,' he said to Burbage and Kempe, two of his players.

'Come on lads,' Dolly Bailey the landlady said, 'I think our William's found his new muses.'

'Sweet ladies,' he said, indicating the chairs that Burbage and Kempe had just vacated.

'Such unusual clothes. So fitted,' he said, eyeing Rose and Martha with undisguised desire.

'Er, verily,' said Martha.

Rose remembered a certain adventure in Scotland when she'd tried to talk like a native. 'Forsooth,' she said with a cheeky grin at the Doctor.

'Egads,' Martha finished.

'No, no, don't do that . . . Don't,' the Doctor told them. He took out his wallet of psychic paper and held it up for Will to see. 'I'm Sir Doctor of Tardis and these are my companions, Miss Rose Tyler and Miss Martha Jones.

'Interesting, that bit of paper. It's blank.'

'Oh, that's very clever,' the Doctor said quietly. 'That proves it. Absolute genius.'

'No, it says so right there. Sir Doctor, Rose Tyler, Martha Jones. It says so.'

'And I say it's blank.'

The Doctor turned to Martha. 'Psychic paper. Er, long story. Oh, I hate starting from scratch.'

Rose touched Martha's arm to get her attention and leaned close to whisper. 'It makes people see what you tell them is on it, or what they expect to see on it.'

'Really? That's brilliant!'

Whilst Rose was explaining, Will continued to talk to the Doctor. 'Psychic? Never heard that before and words are my trade. Who are you exactly?' He turned to the ladies and gave them a lustful smile. 'More's the point, who are your delicious ebony and ivory ladies?'

'What did you say?' Martha asked in disbelief.

'I've not heard that chat up line before,' said Rose.

'Oops. Aren't those words we use nowadays? An Ethiop girl and a Goodwife? A swarth and a tawny? A Queen of Afric and an English Rose?

Martha sat there, open mouthed. 'I can't believe I'm hearing this.'

'He's nothin' like Dickens, that's for sure. Although, he did manage to get my name in there at the end,' Rose said.

The Doctor rubbed an eye distractedly. 'It's political correctness gone mad. Er, my friend's are from a far-off land . . . Freedonia.'

A man in expensive clothes and wearing a gold chain of office entered the room. 'Excuse me! Hold hard a moment. This is abominable behaviour. A new play with no warning? I demand to see a script, Mister Shakespeare. As Master of the Revels, every new script must be registered at my office and examined by me before it can be performed.'

'Tomorrow morning, first thing, I'll send it round,' Will told him.

'I don't work to your schedule, you work to mine,' Lynley said pompously. 'The script, now!'

'I can't.'

'Then tomorrow's performance is cancelled.'

The quiet serving wench, sneaked out of the room unnoticed.

'Blimey. It's all go around here, innit?' said Rose.

'I'm returning to my office for a banning order. If it's the last thing I do, Love's Labours Won will never be played,' Lynley told Will, and left the room.

'Well then, mystery solved. That's Love's Labours Won over and done with. Thought it might be something more, you know, more mysterious,' Martha said with a hint of disappointment.

Suddenly, there was a man's gargled scream from the tavern's courtyard below, followed by a woman's high pitched shriek.

'Careful what you wish for,' Rose said, knowing how these things could escalate out of control. Everyone stood and hurried out of the room. They heard a woman's call for help drifting up the stairwell from below.

As they entered the courtyard, they saw Lynley staggering around, spewing copious amounts of water from his mouth.

'It's that Lynley bloke,' Rose declared.

The Doctor looked puzzled. 'What's wrong with him? Leave it to me. I'm a doctor.' He ran forward to help.

Martha rushed forwards with him. 'So am I, near enough.'

Lynley collapsed onto the cobbles, and they knelt down to examine their patient. Rose knew that she could do very little to help when two doctors were taking care of him, but also knew that when something unexplained happened, there was usually someone around who knew about it.

She looked around the courtyard to see if there was anything out of the ordinary, or if anyone was acting strangely. She noticed that the serving girl who had been in Shakespeare's room, was on the upper gallery of the courtyard, looking down on the scene. The girl didn't seem distressed, or concerned. If anything, Rose thought, she looked pleased with herself.

'Got to get the heart going . . . Mister Lynley, come on. Can you hear me? You're going to be all right.' Martha tilted his head back and was about to clear Lynley's airways for CPR, when water gushed out of his mouth. 'What the hell is that?'

'I've never seen a death like it. His lungs are full of water. He drowned and then, I don't know, like a blow to the heart, an invisible blow.

The Doctor stood and turned to Dolly. 'Good mistress, this poor fellow has died from a sudden imbalance of the humours. A natural if unfortunate demise. Call a constable and have him taken away.'

'Yes, sir,' Dolly said and was about to leave when the serving girl appeared at the bottom of the stairs.

'I'll do it, ma'am,' she said and turned away, smiling. Rose had been watching her, and noticed that "pleased with herself" look again.

'And why are you telling them that?' Martha asked him. There was nothing natural about drowning in a courtyard with no water.

'This lot still have got one foot in the Dark Ages. If I tell them the truth, they'll panic and think it was witchcraft.'

'Okay, what was it then?' asked Martha.

'Witchcraft,' the Doctor replied.


	5. Loves Labour's Won

**Chapter 5**

 **Loves Labour's Won  
**

Everyone walked back into Will's room after returning from the courtyard. Dolly came in behind them. 'I got you rooms, Sir Doctor. You are just across the landing, and your lady friends are in the adjacent room.

'Poor Lynley. So many strange events,' Will pondered. 'Not least of all, this land of Freedonia where a woman can be a doctor?'

'Where a woman can do what she likes,' Martha said defiantly.

'An' she can give you a slap if you're not careful,' Rose warned, seeing the lustful look in his eye was still there.

Will gave her a mischievous smile, before addressing the Doctor. 'And you, Sir Doctor. How can a man so young have eyes so old?'

'I do a lot of reading.'

'A trite reply. Yeah, that's what I'd do.' Will looked at Rose. 'And you my fair lady. You look at him as though he is your whole world. Such love and longing I see in your eyes, 'tis a wonder he is not under your enchantment. And yet my dark lady, you look at him like you're surprised he exists. He's as much of a puzzle to you as he is to me.'

'I think we should say goodnight,' Martha told him, and left the room. Rose lingered by the door for a moment, looking into the Doctor's eyes. Shakespeare's insight had hit home, and the Doctor gave her a look which could only be called loving. She looked at Will, who had a knowing smile on his face, before turning away and leaving the room.

'I must work. I have a play to complete. But I'll get my answers tomorrow, Doctor, and I'll discover more about you and why this constant performance of yours.'

The Doctor strolled to the door. 'All the world's a stage.'

'Hmm. I might use that. Goodnight, Doctor.'

'Nighty night, Shakespeare.'

The ladies found their way to their room. It was cosy, with two single beds, and was lit with candles on the walls which cast a warm yellow light around the room, and flickering shadows in the recesses. Martha picked up a candle in a holder from the bedside table and walked around the room, inspecting the wardrobe.

'It's not exactly five star, is it?' she commented.

'Oh this is lovely . . . quaint. You should see some of the gaffs we've stayed in,' Rose said. 'And it beats a prison cell, believe me.'

Martha laughed, not sure if Rose was winding her up or not. 'How long have you two been together?'

'A couple of years, I think . . . you lose track of time when you travel in the TARDIS.' She tested the mattress on one of the beds, and then lay down, propping her back up on the pillows.

Martha did the same on the other bed and turned to look at Rose, propping her head on her hand. 'He's quite a catch,' she said with a cheeky smile. 'How did you meet?'

'He blew up my workplace,' said Rose, with a deadpan expression.

Martha spurted a laugh. 'You're kidding me.'

'Nope. Remember the shop window dummies comin' to life and attackin' people? They had a transmitter on the top of Henrick's, and he blew it up.'

'Remember it? I was in my second year and A+E was inundated with casualties. They asked the medical students to go in to help the doctors. Y'know, putting plasters on, wrapping bandages, stuff like that.'

'Ah, sorry about that. He has a habit of causing chaos when he's saving the world.'

There was a knock at the door. 'Hello, you in there?' the Doctor's voice called quietly from the other side of the door.

'Yeah, we're here,' Rose said with a laugh. 'Come on in.'

'Ooh this is nice and cosy,' he said, as he walked in and sat on Rose's bed. 'Better than some of the places we've stayed in. eh?'

'We've already done that one,' Rose said.

'So, magic and stuff. That's a surprise. It's all a little bit Harry Potter,' Martha said.

'Wait till you read book seven. Oh, I cried,' he told her.

'Oh yeah, The Deathly Hallows. So many of the characters died, including . . .'

'Oi, I'd like to read that when it comes out,' Martha interrupted.

'You can borrow my copy if you want,' the Doctor offered.

'But is it real, though? Not Harry Potter. I mean witches, black magic and all that, it's real?'

'Course it isn't!' he said dismissively.

'Well, how am I supposed to know? I've only just started believing in time travel. Give me a break.'

Rose slapped his arm. 'Don't be so rude you. I remember the dead comin' back to life, and a small, dead child wearin' a gas mask. That was like witchcraft and black magic.'

'But that was gaseous life forms and nanogenes.'

'Yeah, I know that now, but I didn't at the time. So cut her some slack, she's still learnin' all this weird stuff that we take for granted.'

'Yeah. Okay, sorry. It looks like witchcraft, but it isn't. There's such a thing as psychic energy, but a human couldn't channel it like that. Not without a generator the size of Taunton and I think we'd have spotted that. No, there's something I'm missing, something really close, staring me right in the face and I can't see it.'

'Well, there was somethin',' Rose ventured. 'While you were tryin' to save Lynley. The serving girl that was in Shakespeare's room, I saw her watchin' from the gallery.'

'There were a lot of people watching. It was a most unusual occurrence,' he said.

'Yeah, I know. But you didn't see the look on her face. It was as if she knew what was goin' on and was happy about Lynley dyin'.'

'Hmm. Interesting.' He stood up and put his hands in his pockets. 'She's probably gone home by now, so we'll have to wait until morning. Get some sleep, and we'll have a word with her when she comes to work.' He walked to the door and opened it.

'Goodnight Doctor,' said Rose as he walked through the doorway.

'Goodnight.'

* * *

A scream in the darkness!

Martha was jolted awake and opened her eyes but she still couldn't see. There was no glow from street lights through the window, no light pollution, just a wall of inky blackness. She then remembered where and when she was; no wonder people believed in creatures lurking in the darkness.

'Rose, did you hear that?' she called out to the darkness.

An oblong of pale blue light made her blink, and she saw Rose's concerned face illuminated by her phone. 'Yeah, c'mon. It looks like the plot thickens.'

Using the light from her phone display, they hurried to the door and opened it to find the Doctor standing there, with his knuckles raised about to knock on the wood.

'You took your time . . . this way,' he said, and ran towards Shakespeare's room.

In his room, Will was slumped over his desk, apparently exhausted from writing the final scene of Loves Labour's Won. He woke up as the trio ran in and disturbed his fitful slumber. 'What? What was that?'

Dolly had collapsed on the floor, and Martha knelt down to see if she could do anything for her. She knew she wouldn't be able to do much; a fully equipped resuscitation room would not be available for another 500 years or so. Whilst the Doctor joined Martha, Rose went to the window and saw an archetypal witch on a broomstick silhouetted against the full moon. It was the serving girl she'd seen earlier, and she was cackling as she flew off.

'Bellatrix Lestrange eat yer heart out,' Rose muttered to herself.

'Her heart gave out,' Martha diagnosed, feeling no pulse in her neck.

'She died of fright,' the Doctor added.

'Doctor?' Rose called from the window with a hint of uncertainty in her voice.

He ran over to see. 'What did you see?'

Remembering how he had pooh-poohed Martha about witchcraft and black magic, Rose proceeded cautiously. 'Y'know if ya see somethin' that looks like a witch, and it flies like a witch, and it cackles like a witch . . . is it all right to call it a witch?'

'Well, yeah, I suppose. Why?'

'I just saw a witch.'

They sat down around Will's desk, while Rose described what she had seen. Will explained how he must have fallen asleep after writing the final scene. A cockerel crowing could be heard through the open window as dawn's early light started to filter through the breaking clouds, and dogs started barking at the rising of the sun.

'Oh, sweet Dolly Bailey. She sat out three bouts of the plague in this place when we all ran like rats. But what could have scared her so? She had such enormous spirit,' said Will sadly.

'Rage, rage against the dying of the light,' the Doctor said, quoting Dylan Thomas.

Will raised his eyebrows. 'I might use that.'

'You can't. It's someone else's,' the Doctor warned him.

Rose was thinking about the events of the last few hours. 'But the thing is, Lynley drowned on dry land.'

'And Dolly died of fright,' Martha added, also wanting to put things into perspective.

'And they were both connected to you,' Rose finished.

'You're accusing me?' asked Will in surprise.

'No, but I saw a witch, big as you like, flying, cackling away, and you've written about witches,' Rose said.

Will looked puzzled. 'I have? When was that?'

The Doctor gave Rose a warning look. 'Not . . . not quite yet.'

'Peter Streete spoke of witches,' Will remembered.

'Who's Peter Streete?' asked Martha.

'Our builder. He sketched the plans to the Globe.'

The Doctor sat forward. 'The architect . . . Hold on. The architect! THE ARCHITECT!' He leaped out of his seat 'The Globe! Come on!'

The Doctor stood in the stalls, looking around the tetradecagon. Rose, Martha and Will stood on the stage. 'The columns there, right? Fourteen sides. I've always wondered, but I never asked. Tell me, Will. Why fourteen sides?' he asked.

'It was the shape Peter Streete thought best, that's all. Said it carried the sound well.'

The Doctor frowned in thought. 'Fourteen. Why does that ring a bell? Fourteen.'

'There's fourteen lines in a sonnet,' Martha offered.

'Is there?' Rose asked, impressed with Martha's knowledge. She'd never cared for Shakespeare at school. They had tried to do Romeo and Juliet, but the arcane language was difficult to follow, and all she knew was that it had ended badly for the star-crossed lovers.

'So there is,' the Doctor responded. 'Good point. Words and shapes following the same design. Fourteen lines, fourteen sides, fourteen facets. Oh, my head. Tetradecagon.' He started slapping his own head in frustration. 'Think, think, think! Words, letters, numbers, lines!'

Will spread his arms out. 'This is just a theatre.'

'Oh yeah, but a theatre's magic, isn't it? You should know. Stand on this stage; say the right words with the right emphasis at the right time. Oh, you can make men weep, or cry with joy. Change them.' Slowly, a realisation started to dawn on the Doctor. 'You can change people's minds just with words in this place,' he said to himself. 'But if you exaggerate that.'

'Like an amplifier?' Rose asked.

'Yes!' the Doctor said, pointing at her and grinning.

'It's like your police box. Small wooden box with all that power inside,' Martha ventured.

'Oh. Oh, Martha Jones, I like you,' he told her.

Rose was feeling a bit miffed. It was her job to give the Doctor ideas, and now this clever, attractive young woman was trying to take over. She liked Martha, but come on; she was just a passenger on a day trip. Leave the detective work to the professionals.

'Tell you what, though. Peter Streete would know. Can I talk to him?'

'You won't get an answer. A month after finishing this place, lost his mind,' Will told him.

'Why? What happened?' Martha asked as Rose opened her mouth to ask the same question.

'Started raving about witches, hearing voices, babbling. His mind was addled.'

'Where is he now?' the Doctor asked.

'Bedlam.'

'What's Bedlam?' Martha asked.

Hah! Rose had heard that question on Quizmania. 'Bethlam Royal Hospital,' she said with a satisfied grin. She knew something Martha didn't.

'I don't know about the Royal, but it's the madhouse,' added Will, just in case they didn't know what Bethlam Hospital was.

'We're going to go there. Right now. Come on,' the Doctor said, striding out of the theatre.

'Wait! I'm coming with you. I want to witness this at first hand,' Will said as two young men enter the theatre. 'Ralph, the last scene as promised. Copy it, hand it round, learn it, speak it. Back before curtain up. And remember, kid, project. Eyes and teeth. You never know, the Queen might turn up.' He turned and hurried after the time travelling trio. 'As if. She never does,' he muttered.

'So, tell me of Freedonia, where women can be doctors, writers, actors,' Will asked Rose and Martha as they walked through the streets of Southwark.

'This country's ruled by a woman,' Rose told him.

'Ah, she's royal. That's God's business. Though you are royal beauties,' he declared.

'Whoa, Nelly,' Martha said, and they stopped walking. 'I know for a fact you've got a wife in the country.'

"I know that too", Rose thought. "Anne Hathaway". She'd been to Stratford on Avon on a school trip once and visited her thatched house.

'But Martha, this is Town,' he told her, as if that was reason enough to be unfaithful to his wife.

Rose was reminded of her mum's accusations against her dad when she had gone back to see him. 'Oi! Town or country, she's still your wife, and a marriage is built on trust,' she told him in no uncertain terms.

Martha didn't know where that had come from, but she could see Rose meant it. "Good for you girl", she thought to herself.

The Doctor had strode ahead, but came back to get them. 'Come on. We can all have a good flirt later.'

Will gave him a saucy smile. 'Is that a promise, Doctor?'

The Doctor stood there, dumbfounded as Rose giggled. 'Oh, fifty seven academics just punched the air. Now move!'

Rose fell in step beside him. 'I know a certain captain who would love to meet him.'

The Doctor groaned at the thought. 'Oh don't . . . please don't.'

They managed to get a lift to Bethlam Hospital from a merchant who had a cartload of stock he was taking to Bishopsgate. Will traded a free entry to a performance of one of his plays for the 11 mile ride in the cart.

The hospital was a large, brick building near the city wall, and had an atmosphere of foreboding emanating from behind the wrought iron gates. They were greeted by the Keeper of the Hospital, who thought they had come for the popular entertainment of the time, which was to watch the mad people do strange and ludicrous things.

'Does my Lord Doctor wish some entertainment while he waits? I'd whip these madmen. They'll put on a good show for you. Mad dog in Bedlam,' the Keeper said.

'No, I don't!' he replied angrily.

'Well, wait here, my lords, while I make him decent for the ladies.' The Keeper of the Hospital walked on down the corridor with cells on either side.

Martha looked around in disgust. 'So this is what you call a hospital, yeah? Where the patients are whipped to entertain the gentry? And you put your friend in here?'

'Oh, it's all so different in Freedonia,' he said.

'Too right it is,' Rose said, relieved that she'd been born in the 20th century.

Martha was still not happy. 'But you're clever. Do you honestly think this place is any good?'

'I've been mad. I've lost my mind,' Will said sadly. 'Fear of this place set me right again. It serves its purpose.'

'Mad in what way?' Rose asked him.

'You lost your son,' the Doctor said by way of explanation.

'My only boy. The Black Death took him. I wasn't even there.'

'I didn't know . . . I'm sorry,' said Martha.

'It made me question everything. The futility of this fleeting existence. To be or not to be.' Will paused in thought. 'Oh, that's quite good.'

'You should write that down,' the Doctor told him.

'Maybe not. A bit pretentious?' he questioned.

'Mmmmm.' The Doctor gave him a noncommittal shrug.

'Well I like it,' Rose said. 'If you don't want it, I'll have it.'

'If the fair lady Rose approves, then who am I to argue.'

'This way, my lord!' the Keeper called to them. as they entered the cell, they saw a hunched figure in rags with his back to them. 'They can be dangerous, my lord. Don't know their own strength,' warned the Keeper.

The Doctor gave him a stern, disapproving look. 'I think it helps if you don't whip them. Now get out!'

The Keeper left the cell, and locked the gate behind him. The Doctor went around the cell and knelt in front of Streete. 'Peter? Peter Streete?' the Doctor called gently.

'He's the same as he was. You'll get nothing out of him,' said Will.

The Doctor touched Streete's shoulder. 'Peter?'

Streete raised his head, and looked at him with wild staring eyes. The Doctor put his fingers on Streete's temples and started to probe his mind. 'Peter, I'm the Doctor. Go into the past. One year ago. Let your mind go back. Back to when everything was fine and shining. Everything that happened in this year since happened to somebody else. It was just a story. A Winter's Tale. Let go. That's it. That's it, just let go.'

He lay Streete down on his cot. 'Tell me the story, Peter. Tell me about the witches.'

'Witches spoke to Peter. In the night, they whispered. They whispered. Got Peter to build the Globe to their design. Their design! The fourteen walls. Always fourteen. When the work was done they snapped poor Peter's wits,' Streete told him.

'Where did Peter see the witches? Where in the city? Peter, tell me. You've got to tell me where were they?'

'All Hallows Street.'

'Too many words,' a voice croaked beside the Doctor, making him jump up.

'What the hell?!' Rose exclaimed in surprise, as an old hag suddenly appeared in the cell.

'Just one touch of the heart,' the hag cackled reaching out with her forefinger.

'NO!' the Doctor cried as the hag leaned forward and touched Streete's chest with her finger. His heart stopped abruptly.

Will pointed at the hag. 'Witch! I'm seeing a witch!'

'Now, who would be next, hmm? Just one touch. Oh, oh, I'll stop your frantic hearts. Poor, fragile mortals,' the hag taunted.

'Let us out! Let us out!' Martha shouted, rattling the bars of the cell.

'That's not going to work,' the Doctor told her. 'The whole building's shouting that.'

'Who will die first, hmm?' the hag asked them.

The Doctor put his hands in his pockets and stepped forward. 'Well, if you're looking for volunteers.'

'No! Don't!' Rose cried.

'Doctor, can you stop her?' Will asked him.

'No mortal has power over me.'

'Oh, but there's a power in words. If I can find the right one. If I can just know you,' the Doctor said.

'None on Earth has knowledge of us.'

'Then it's a good thing I'm here. Now think, think, think. Humanoid female, uses shapes and words to channel energy.'

'Narrows it down,' Rose said in encouragement. He turned and smiled at her. 'They channel and use psychic energy.'

'Narrows it down,' he said.

'They can drown a man without water,' Martha added.

'Narrows it down.'

'They can appear out of the ether in a locked cell,' Will said.

The Doctor raised his eyebrows at Will's participation. 'Narrows it down, nice one.'

'And they have a thing about the number fourteen,' Rose remembered.

'Narrows it . . . Ah! Fourteen!' He pointed at the hag in a sudden moment of realisation. 'That's it! Fourteen! The fourteen stars of the Braxill Planetary Configuration. Creature, I name you Carrionite!'

The hag screamed and dissolved in a ball of light before vanishing.

Rose came and stood beside him. 'What did you do?'

'I named her. The power of a name. That's old magic,' said the Doctor.

Martha stood the other side of him. 'But there's no such thing as magic.'

'Well, it's just a different sort of science. You lot, you chose mathematics. Given the right string of numbers, the right equation, you can split the atom. Carrionites use words instead.'

'Use them for what?' Will asked.

'The end of the world.'

* * *

Back in Will's room at the Elephant Tavern, the Bard was washing his face in an enamelled bowl while the Doctor explained about the alien witches.

'The Carrionites disappeared way back at the dawn of the universe. Nobody was sure if they were real or legend.'

'Well, I'm going for real,' Will said, wiping his face with a towel.

'But what do they want?' Rose asked.

'A new empire on Earth. A world of bones and blood and witchcraft.'

'But how?' Martha enquired.

'I'm looking at the man with the words,' the Doctor said, giving Will a pointed stare.

'Me? But I've done nothing.'

Rose thought back to the previous night when the serving girl had been in the tavern. 'Hold on, though. What were you doing last night, when that Carrionite was in the room?'

'Finishing the play,' Will replied defensively.

'What happens on the last page?' the Doctor asked quietly.

'The boys get the girls. They have a bit of a dance. It's all as funny and thought provoking as usual.' Will paused in thought. 'Except those last few lines. Funny thing is, I don't actually remember writing them.'

The Doctor straightened up. 'That's it. They used you. They gave you the final words like a spell, like a code. Love's Labours Won. It's a weapon. The right combination of words, spoken at the right place, with the shape of the Globe as an energy converter! The play's the thing!' He turned to look at Rose and Martha and then turned back to Will. 'And yes, you can have that.'

'So how do we stop them?' Rose asked.

'I've got to find their base of operations in All Hallows Street. Will, do you have a street map of London?'

'I have a parchment on the shelf over there.' He reached a rolled up paper from between some leather bound books on the bookcase. He flattened it out on the desk to reveal a hopelessly inaccurate map of London streets.

'Blimey. It's hardly an A to Z is it,' said Martha.

'The cabbies around here must have it easy,' Rose joked.

The Doctor put his brainy specs on and pointed to one of the three marked streets, which he noted was where Thames Street would be in Rose's and Martha's time. 'All Hallows Street. There it is. Rose, Martha, we'll track them down. Will, you get to the Globe. Whatever you do, stop that play,' he said.

Will held out his hand to the Doctor. 'I'll do it. All these years I've been the cleverest man around. Next to you, I know nothing.'

'Oh, don't complain,' Rose said sympathetically.

'I'm not. It's marvellous. Good luck, Doctor.' They shook hands.

'Good luck, Shakespeare. Once more unto the breach,' he said as they left the room.

'Ooh, that's a good one for you,' said Martha.

'I don't know,' Rose said with a frown, 'the last time I saw a breach . . .'

'I like that!' Will declared, and then realised. 'Wait a minute, that's one of mine.'

The Doctor reappeared at the doorway. 'Oh, just shift!'

A while later, the three time travellers were walking through a narrow passageway onto a ramshackle street. 'All Hallows Street, but which house?' the Doctor asked, looking around.

'The thing is though, am I missing something here?' Martha started a train of thought. 'The world didn't end in 1599. It just didn't. Look at me. I'm living proof.'

'That don't mean nothin,' Rose told her. 'I nearly died in the 19th Century . . . Oh, and the world nearly ended in 1987 when I caused a paradox.'

'Oh, how to explain the mechanics of the infinite temporal flux? I know. Back to the Future. It's like Back to the Future.'

'Ooh, that's a good one,' Rose said.

'The film?' Martha confirmed.

'No, the novelisation. Yes, the film. Marty McFly goes back and changes history.'

'And he starts fading away . . . Oh my God, am I going to fade?' Martha asked with concern.

'Nah, it's more like gettin' eaten by gargoyle monsters,' Rose explained helpfully.

The Doctor looked serious, deadly serious. 'You and the entire future of the human race. It ends right now in 1599 if we don't stop it. But which house?'

They heard a creak of hinges. The kind you hear in all the good horror films. A door had creaked open invitingly on it's own.

'I think that answers your question,' said Rose.

'Ah. Make that witch house,' he said and set off for the open doorway. Rose smiled at Martha and rolled her eyes at his terrible pun.

They made their way into the house and climbed the stairs to an upstairs room. The serving girl from the tavern was waiting for them. 'I take it we're expected,' the Doctor said.

'Oh, I think Death has been waiting for you a very long time,' the Carrionite said.

'Right then, it's my turn,' Martha said with a slap of his chest. 'I know how to do this. I name thee . . . Carrionite!' She pointed at the alien as she said it and the alien gasped, before laughing. 'What did I do wrong? Was it the finger?'

'The power of a name works only once. Observe.' It pointed at Martha. 'I gaze upon this bag of bones and now I name thee Martha Jones.'

Martha gasped and fell backwards. Rose caught her and lowered her to the floor. 'Doctor?'

'What have you done?' he demanded.

'Only sleeping, alas. It's curious. The name has less impact. She's somehow out of her time. And as for you, Sir Doctor. Fascinating . . . There is no name. Why would a man hide his title in such despair? Oh, but look. There's still one word with the power over your heart.'

'The naming won't work on me.'

'With fire and ice and rage you come. Like the night and the storm in the heart of the sun. Ancient and forever your passion grows,' it pointed at Rose who was kneeling by Martha. 'For the wolf in a woman's clothing whose name is . . .' The Doctor stepped in front of her. 'Rose.'

With his back to Rose, he didn't see her eyes flash with a gold light as the Bad Wolf inside her absorbed the power of the naming. Once again, Rose noticed that one of his adversaries had accused him of being in love with her.

'Oh, big mistake,' the Doctor told the Carrionite. 'Because that name keeps me going. The Carrionites vanished. Where did you go?'

'The Eternals found the right word to banish us into deep darkness.'

'And how did you escape?'

'New words. New and glittering, from a mind like no other.'

'Shakespeare,' Rose realised. The Doctor looked around, surprised and puzzled that she was still conscious, but there was no time to contemplate that at the moment.

'His son perished. The grief of a genius. Grief without measure. Madness enough to allow us entrance.' The Doctor could see Shakespeare on the surface of the blue liquid in the cauldron.

'How many of you?'

'Just the three. But the play tonight shall restore the rest. Then the human race will be purged as pestilence. And from this world we will lead the universe back into the old ways of blood and magic.'

'Hmm. Busy schedule,' he said, walking up and looking the Carrionite in the eye. 'But first you've got to get past me.'

'Oh, that should be a pleasure, considering my enemy has such a handsome shape.' The alien whispered in his ear, running her fingers through his hair.

'Get away from him you bitch!' Rose shouted. 'Doctor, be careful.'

He held his hand up and waved to let her know that everything would be all right. 'Now, that's one form of magic that's definitely not going to work on me.'

'Oh, we'll see.' The alien pulled some hairs from his head.

'What did you do?'

'Souvenir.'

'Well, give it back.'

The Carrionite leaped backwards out of the window and hung in the air, out of reach.

'Well, that's just cheating.'

'Behold, Doctor. Men to Carrionites are nothing but puppets.'

It wrapped his hair around a wooden doll. Behind the Doctor, Martha started to wake up, and Rose helped her into a sitting position, her eyes fixed on the window.

'Now, you might call that magic. I'd call that a DNA replication module.'

'What use is your science now?' The Carrionite asked, and stabbed the DNA replication module with a spike.

The Doctor cried out in pain and collapsed to the floor.

'DOCTOR!' Rose called out and rushed to his side, rolling him onto his back. 'It's the Royal Hope all over again.'

Martha hurried over and knelt by his side. Rose tilted his head back, pinched his nose, and sealed her lips around his. She was about to breath air into his lungs, when something occurred to her. She kissed his lips before sitting back on her heels.

'Hang on a minute . . . she only stabbed the doll once.' She leaned forward and spoke quietly into his ear. 'You mate, have got two hearts.'

He opened one eye and looked at her, his boyish grin spreading across his face. 'It was worth a try. At least I got one of your life saving kisses again.'

Martha laughed, and Rose slapped his chest in pretend annoyance. He tried to stand, and staggered to the side. Rose and Martha supported him.

'Ah! I've only got one heart working. How do you people cope? I've got to get the other one started. Hit me! Hit me on the chest!' Martha thumped him on the right side of his chest.

'Dah! Other side.' Rose thumped the left side. He leaned forward. 'Now, on the back, on the back.' Martha linked her fingers together and thumped him with both her fists. 'Left a bit. Dah, lovely. There we go.'

He straightened up. 'Badda booma! Well, what are you standing there for? Come on! The Globe!'

Both Rose and Martha rolled their eyes and set off after him.


	6. Gridlock

**Chapter 6**

 **Gridlock**

Rose and Martha eventually got a good night's sleep at the Elephant Tavern, and joined the Doctor for a fry up breakfast before setting off for the Globe theatre with the Doctor. He went looking for any copies of Love's Labours Won, whilst Will flirted with the girls on the stage.

'And I say, a heart for a hart and a dear for a deer,' he said with a clever word play.

'I don't get it,' Martha told him.

'Is it like an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth?' Rose asked. 'Cos I've heard that one before.'

Will was stumped by Rose's question. 'Why not give me a joke from Freedonia.'

'Okay, Shakespeare walks into a pub and the landlord says, Oi mate, you're Bard,' Martha said with an expectant smile.

Rose laughed. 'That's a good one.'

'That's brilliant. Doesn't make sense, mind you, but never mind that. Now come here.' He put his arm around Martha's waist and pulled her towards him. Rose gave him a disapproving glare.

'I've only just met you.'

'The Doctor has his fair lady Rose. Why not allow me to have my dark lady Martha?'

'Cos yer married?' Rose said sarcastically, trying to rescue Martha from his amorous advances.

Martha however had her own reasons for rejecting his advances. 'I don't know how to tell you this, oh great genius, but your breath doesn't half stink.'

At that point, the Doctor walked onto the stage wearing a small stiff ruff and carrying an animal skull. 'Good props store back there. I'm not sure about this though. Reminds me of a Sycorax.'

'Oh yeah, I see what yer mean,' said Rose as she looked over at the Doctor.

'Sycorax. Nice word. I'll have that off you as well.'

'I should be on ten percent. How's your head?'

'Still aching.'

'Here, I got you this.' The Doctor took off the ruff and put it around Will's neck.

'Neck brace. Wear that for a few days till it's better, although you might want to keep it. It suits you.'

'Now that's how I imagined Shakespeare should look,' Rose said.

'What about the play?' Martha asked.

'Gone. I looked all over. Every single copy of Love's Labours Won went up in the sky.'

'My lost masterpiece.'

'You could write it up again,' Rose suggested.

'Yeah, better not, Will,' the Doctor warned. 'There's still power in those words. Maybe it should best stay forgotten.'

'Oh, but I've got new ideas. Perhaps it's time I wrote about fathers and sons, in memory of my boy, my precious Hamnet.'

'Hamnet?' Rose said.

'That's him.'

'Hamnet?' Martha repeated.

'What's wrong with that?' He and Anne liked the name Hamnet.

'Anyway, time we were off. I've got a nice attic in the TARDIS where this lot can scream for all eternity, and we've got to take Martha back to Freedonia.

'You mean travel on through time and space.'

'You what?'

'You're from another world like the Carrionites, whilst Rose and Martha are from the future. It's not hard to work out.'

'That's incredible. You are incredible,' the Doctor said in admiration.

'We're alike in many ways, Doctor.' He turned towards the ladies. 'Rose, let me say goodbye to you with a quote from one of my plays.' He took Rose's hand and kissed her knuckle. 'A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.'

'Thanks Will. It's been . . . an education,' she said, and then remembered a famous quote, something from English literature at school. 'Parting is such sweet sorrow. You can have that one an' all.'

Will laughed. 'You've seen my play then.'

Rose looked puzzled, until the Doctor whispered in her ear. 'That's from Romeo and Juliet as well.'

'And Martha, let me say goodbye to you in a new verse. A sonnet for my Dark Lady. Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate.'

Two of his players, Burbage and Kempe hurried into the theatre from the street.

'Will!' Burbage called out excitedly.

Kempe was just as excited as he spoke. 'Will, you'll never believe it. She's here! She's turned up!'

'We're the talk of the town. She heard about last night. She wants us to perform it again,' Burbage told him.

'Who?' Rose and Martha said together.

Burbage grinned with pride. 'Her Majesty. She's here.'

There was a fanfare which announced the arrival of the monarch, who strode into the theatre, flanked by two pikemen.

'Queen Elizabeth the First!' the Doctor said with undisguised enthusiasm. He'd always wanted to meet the queen that defined Englishness.

'Doctor?' the queen said in surprise.

She wasn't as surprised as the Doctor though. 'What?'

'And your good lady wife, the Mistress Rose. I hope I find you both in good health. It is so good to see you again.'

Now it was Rose's turn to be surprised. 'What?' Did she say good lady wife?

'How many years have passed? Thirty seven, and you have not aged a day,' she told them.

The Doctor was stumped. 'What?' It was one of those occasions where he met people out of sequence.

'You know Elizabeth the First?' Martha asked.

'No . . . well, yes, apparently . . . but not yet.'

Elizabeth was open mouthed in sudden realisation. 'Oh, the moment has arrived. You said we would meet again and I should tell you nothing of our previous meeting.'

'Did I? Well, that's a relief,' he said, running his hand through his hair and rubbing the back of his neck.

'Although, by the look on Mistress Rose's face, I may have said too much already,' the queen said.

'Er, no harm done I think your Majesty. It has been a pleasure to meet you . . . again.' He bowed low. Rose and Martha curtsied.

'Nice to meet you Ma'am . . . again,' said Rose.

'A pleasure Ma'am,' Martha said.

'I must apologise for the brief nature of this meeting your Majesty, but we have to take our friend Martha home.'

'In your TARDIS no doubt.' The Doctor was flabbergasted. How much did she know? 'Oh dear, I suspect I have done it again.'

* * *

The Doctor landed the TARDIS, stopped the Time Rotor, pulled on the hand brake, and shut down the console. 'There we go. Perfect landing. Which isn't easy in such a tight spot.'

'You should be used to tight spots by now,' Rose said cheekily. 'Where are we?'

'The end of the line. No place like it,' he said. Martha looked puzzled, and walked down the ramp with Rose, wondering where he had taken them.

They stepped out of the TARDIS into a small, tidy flat.

'Home. You took me home?' Martha said in surprise. It had been so exciting, that she'd forgotten that she'd only been offered one trip.

'In fact, the morning after we left, so you've only been gone about twelve hours. No time at all, really,' he said as he stepped out behind them.

'But all the stuff we've done. Shakespeare, Queen Elizabeth, witches, and magic?'

Rose laughed at her amazement. 'Yeah, I know. Isn't it brilliant?'

'Yep, and all in one night . . . relatively speaking.' That was good for him.

'When he took me home from my first trip, we were 12 months late. My mum was furious. She gave him a right slap,' Rose said, laughing at the expression on the Doctor's face.

He rubbed his cheek, remembering the event. He turned his attention back to Martha. 'Everything should be just as it was . . . books, CDs, laundry.' He hooked a pair of knickers off the clothes horse with his finger and held them up.

Martha snatched the offending lingerie from his fingertips and stuffed it in her pocket.

'So, back where you were, as promised.'

'This is it?' She asked, knowing the answer. He had only promised one trip, as a thank you for helping him trap the Plasmavore in the Royal Hope Hospital.

He took a deep breath in. 'Yeah, we should probably . . . um . . . one trip is what we said.'

'Thank you. For everything,' Martha said.

'It was my pleasure,' he said with a smile.

'Oh come here,' Rose said and pulled her into a hug. 'Thanks for savin' him an' everythin'.'

'And that was my pleasure,' Martha replied. 'And according to Queen Elizabeth, it sounds like you two have got an interesting future ahead of you.'

'Er, that's enough spoilers for one day thank you,' the Doctor said, waggling his eyebrows. He touched his forehead in salute to Martha and stepped into the TARDIS. Rose gave her a wave with her fingers and mouthed "bye", before following him into the TARDIS.

Martha heard the engine start up and backed away as the TARDIS started to dematerialise, sending a gentle breeze through the room. "Now what?" she thought to herself as she turned her back on the space where the TARDIS had been.

What did she do now, go back to her studies, and become a doctor? That would be hard, after the distraction of the last few days. I mean, come on, she'd been to the moon, met aliens, met Shakespeare, and saved the Earth, it would be hard to top all that by just living a normal life.

In the TARDIS, the Doctor moved around the pulsing Time Rotor, making adjustments to the controls as he went. Rose was sitting on the jump seat, deep in thought.

'Doctor?' she started tentatively.

'Hmm,' he replied distractedly.

'Your good lady wife, the Mistress Rose?' she asked in a "would you care to elucidate" tone of voice.

'Yeah, I know,' he said with a boyish grin. 'I can't wait to see what that's all about.'

Rose looked puzzled. 'Well obviously it's all about you and me gettin' married. I wonder when and where you propose? I hope it's somewhere romantic. Do Time Lords go down on one knee?' She was on a roll.

'Hey, woah there girl. Let's not get carried away. Queen Liz may just assume that we are married when we meet her.'

'But we always put people straight on that when they make that assumption, tell them that we're just friends travellin' together. Although callin' us "just friends" is pushin' the definition these days.'

He raised an eyebrow at that comment. 'Well, maybe it was a ruse we had to use . . . Ooh I like that. Use a ruse.' And suddenly, his thoughts were off on a tangent, and she knew that was the end of the discussion.

Rose sighed. 'Yeah, it must have been somethin' like that.' It wouldn't be the fact that he loved her enough that he wanted her to be his wife.

He watched the Time Rotor grinding up and down as he thought about the Mistress Rose, his good lady wife. 'One day . . .' he said, looking at her. She thought he was going to finish the sentence with "I'll ask you". But instead he said, 'we'll find out.'

'Yeah . . . one day,' she echoed quietly.

'But until that day comes, let's go and see what's out there. What do you say?' he said, giving her his enthusiastic smile. He made some adjustments to the controls, and pulled back the materialise/dematerialise lever. They heard a gentle "clump" as the TARDIS landed, and the Time Rotor slowed to a stop.

'Where are we?' she asked, her mood lifting as the excitement of exploring a new horizon increased.

'Do you remember our first outing in my new body?' He'd remembered how excited she'd been about that visit, and wanted to try and recapture that feeling for her.

'Oh yeah. New, New, New . . . New York to the power of fifteen,' she said as an abbreviation.

'That's the one. Well, I thought we could go and see how they're getting on now that they're not using people as lab rats and incubators for incurable diseases.' He grabbed his long, brown coat off the coral strut and pulled it on as he made his way down the ramp. Once he'd got his coat on he held his hand out for her. 'Coming?'

She hurried after him and took his hand, and everything was all right again. He might be reluctant to talk about his feelings, and about the possibility of them getting married, but when she held his hand, she always got that special feeling that everything was right with the universe, that everything was right between them.

'Lead on husband,' she said with a teasing smile. She wasn't going to let him off that easily.

He stopped and gave her a disapproving look, but she just winked at him. 'Just tryin' it out, road testing the word so to speak.'

He rolled his eyes and shook his head. There was no point asking her to stop it, it would just make her tease him even more. The best thing to do was to ignore it until she got bored with the subject and moved on to something else. He opened the door and stepped out into a narrow alleyway that was pouring with rain.

'They've let the place go a bit,' Rose said as she stepped out behind him and pulled up the hood on her hoodie.

'Hmmmm. Come on, let's get under cover!' He ran down the alley, with Rose close on his heels, until they came upon an open area filled with plywood huts that made it look like a shanty town.

'Hold on, hold on. Let's have a look.' He used his sonic screwdriver to get a monitor working, and a pleasant blonde lady appeared, giving a traffic report.

"And the driving should be clear and easy, with fifteen extra lanes open for the New New Jersey expressway." A view of a high-tech Manhattan was shown, with flying cars, the view they remembered.

'Oh, that's more like it. That's the view we had last time. This must be the lower levels, down in the base of the tower. Some sort of under-city.'

'The slums yer mean?' Rose said.

A plywood panel lifted up on one of the shacks to reveal a man, standing in a kiosk.

'Oh! You should have said. How long you been there? Happy. You want Happy.'

More hatches opened up, and two women look both surprised and delighted.

'Customers. Customers! We've got customers!' one of them called out.

'We're in business. Mother, open up the Mellow, and the Read,' the other woman said.

The man started custom mongering.'Happy, Happy, lovely happy Happy!'

'Anger. Buy some Anger!'

'Get some Mellow. Makes you feel all bendy and soft all day long.'

The man leaned out of his kiosk to talk to the Doctor and Rose. 'Don't go to them. They'll rip you off. Do you want some happy?'

'No, thanks, the Doctor told him.

Rose frowned. 'Are they selling drugs?'

'I think they're selling moods,' he replied.

'Same thing, isn't it?' Rose asked him. She had never taken drugs, but thought they were a form of artificial happiness.

More people started to enter the area, listless and dressed in rags. The kind of people Rose had seen on the Powell Estate, whose lives had taken a turn for the worse and were on a downward spiral.

'Over here, sweetheart! That's it, come on, I'll get you first!' one of the women called.

'Oi! Oi, you! Over here! Over here! Buy some Happy!' the man shouted.

'Come over here, yeah. And what can I get you, my love?' the woman said as the female customer approached her kiosk.

'I want to buy Forget,' the customer told her.

'I've got Forget, my darling. What strength? How much do you want forgetting?'

'It's my mother and father. They went on the motorway.'

'Oh, that's a swine. Try this. Forget Forty three. That's two credits.' The young woman handed over the coins and took the plastic patch.

The Doctor approached with a frown on his face. 'Sorry, but hold on a minute. What happened to your parents?'

'They drove off.'

'Yeah, but they might drive back,' he said as though it should be obvious.

'Everyone goes to the motorway in the end. I've lost them.'

'But they can't have gone far. You could find them.' As he was talking to her, she applied the patch to her neck. 'No. No, no, don't.'

'I'm sorry, what were you saying?' she said with a smile, the haunted look gone from her eyes.

'Your parents. Your mother and father. They're on the motorway,' he reminded her.

'Are they? That's nice. I'm sorry, I won't keep you,' she said and walked away.

'What's happened to this place?' Rose asked. 'Was it like this in the lower levels when we came last time?'

The Doctor was about to answer, when without warning, a young man grabbed Rose around her neck from behind, and put a gun to her head. A young woman pointed a gun at the Doctor. The stalls all closed their hatches in one movement.

'I'm sorry, I'm really, really sorry. We just need three, that's all,' the man said apologetically as he dragged Rose backwards.

'No, let her go! I'm warning you, let her go! Whatever you want, I can help. Both of us, we can help. But first you've got to let her go.'

'I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. Sorry,' the woman said.

The man dragged Rose through a green door, and the woman locked it behind them. They ran along a passageway while the Doctor tried to get it open. They ended up in an alleyway, where a car that looked like a truncated tram was parked.

'The Doctor is so gonna kill ya, and never mind him; I'm gonna kill ya m'self! Let go of me!'

'Give her some Sleep,' the man said, holding Rose's head back to expose her neck.

'Don't ya dare! Don't put that stuff in me, don't! Gerroff me!'

'It's just Sleep Fourteen. No, baby, don't fight it,' the woman said.

Rose struggled. 'I'm tellin' ya, don't!' The woman put the plastic patch on Rose's neck and she quickly became unconscious.

'That's it. Come on. That's it.'

'Get on board.'

The man started up the box shaped car. 'Engaging anti-gravs. Hold on.' He released the handbrake and the car rose into the air before turning around and flying off down the alleyway.

The Doctor ran out on to the fire escape and watched the large box fly down the alley. 'ROSE!'

* * *

The Catkind female Novice Hame and the Doctor picked themselves up from the rubbish-strewn floor of the Senate. 'Oh! Rough teleport, the Doctor said, pushing himself up onto his hands and knees. 'Ow. You can go straight back down and teleport people out, starting with Rose.'

'I only had the power for one trip,' Hane explained.

'Then get some more!' the Doctor said angrily, before looking around at the wrecked room. 'Where are we?'

'High above, in the over-city.'

'Good. Because you can tell the Senate of New New York I'd like a word. They have got thousands of people trapped on the motorway. Millions!'

'But you're inside the Senate, right now. May the goddess Santori bless them.' Hame used her teleport bracelet to turn on the lights in the room. The Doctor looked around at the scene of death and decay. The Senate was populated by skeletons.

'They died, Doctor,' Hame said sadly. 'The city died.'

'How long's it been like this?'

'Twenty four years.'

He crouched down and looked at a skeleton lying on the floor. 'All of them? Everyone? What happened?'

'A new chemical. A new mood. They called it Bliss. Everyone tried it. They couldn't stop. A virus mutated inside the compound and became airborne. Everything perished. Even the virus, in the end. It killed the world in seven minutes flat. There was just enough time to close down the walkways and the flyovers, sealing off the under-city. Those people on the motorway aren't lost, Doctor. They were saved.'

'So the whole thing down there is running on automatic?'

'There's not enough power to get them out. We did all we could to stop the system from choking.'

The Doctor frowned. 'Who's we? How did you survive?'

'He protected me. And he has waited for you, these long years,' Hame said, as though she were quoting a sacred prophecy.

['Doctor,'] a deep resonant voice echoed in his head.

He looked around to locate the source of the thought, and ran around the corner, into an alcove containing complex control panels, and a large, cylindrical, transparent tank.

'The Face of Boe!' he exclaimed. He approached the tank and crouched down in front of it.

['I knew you would come.']

'Back in the old days, I was made his nurse as penance for my sin,' Hame said guiltily.

'Old friend, what happened to you?'

['Failing,'] the Face of Boe told him.

'He protected me from the virus by shrouding me in his smoke. But with no one to maintain it, the City's power died. The under-city would have fallen into the sea.'

'So he saved them,' the Doctor whispered.

'The Face of Boe wired himself into the mainframe. He's giving his life force just to keep things running.'

'But there are planets out there. You could have called for help.'

Novice Hame shook her head sadly. 'The last act of the Senate was to declare New Earth unsafe. The automatic quarantine lasts for one hundred years.'

'So the two of you stayed here, on your own for all these years.'

'We had no choice,' Hame said, casting her gaze to the floor.

The Doctor touched her shoulder. 'Yes, you did,' he said kindly. He was letting her know that she had paid her penance.

['Save them, Doctor. Save them,'] the Face of Boe implored.

Down in the fast lane of the motorway, in a hovering box of a car, Rose and her two carjackers were sitting silently, trying not to attract the attention of the giant crab like animals that lived on the hydrocarbon exhaust gases. The animals couldn't detect them with the power off, however, they couldn't escape, and the air recycler couldn't provide them with fresh air.

'How much air's left?' asked the female carjacker who had introduced herself as Cheen.

'Two minutes,' the male carjacker replied. He had introduced himself as Milo.

'There's always the Doctor. That friend of mine. He'll think of somethin,' Rose told them.

Milo shook his head in resignation. 'Rose, no one's coming.'

Cheen remembered the look of concern on the Doctor's face when they kidnapped Rose, the look of someone who loved her very much. 'He looked kind of nice.'

'He's a bit more than that,' Rose said without thinking.

Hah! She was right. Cheen knew that look. 'Are you and him?'

'It's complicated,' she decided to say, rather than the usual "we're just friends", because she wasn't sure that was true anymore.

'I never even asked, Cheen realised. 'Where's home?'

'It's a long way away.'

'So, er, who is he, then, this Doctor?' Milo asked.

Rose smiled. 'Oh he's magnificent! He's brave and he's clever and he's resourceful . . . And today is your lucky day.'

Milo looked around the inactive car, not feeling particularly lucky. 'How so?'

'Because you're with me. And the Doctor won't stop until he's found me and got me out of here. And that means he'll get you out too.'

Cheen frowned. 'But that means that the only hope right now is . . . one man . . . Well, that's no use.'

'It is, though, because you haven't seen the things that one man can do. Honestly, just trust me, both of you. You've got your faith, you've got your songs and your hymns, and I've got the Doctor.'

'Right,' said Milo. If this Doctor was as good as she claimed, then there was only one thing for it. He began the start up sequence for the car.

['Systems back online,'] the onboard computer told them.

Milo and Cheen held hands. 'Good luck,' he said.

'And you,' Rose said, as Milo started to weave around the snapping claws of the alien monsters.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, the Doctor had got a computer working and was looking for a particular transponder. 'Car four six five diamond six. It still registers!' he shouted. 'That's Rose. Oh she's brilliant.'

He needed to get her out of there now. He needed to provide power to the roof of the motorway and open it to the sky. 'Novice Hame, hold that in place,' he called to her, indicating the lever he was using to power the computer.

He started following a collection of snaking cables to a distribution panel. 'Think, think, think, think. Take the residual energy, invert it, feed it through the electricity grid.'

'There isn't enough power,' Hame told him.

'Oh, you've got power. You've got me. I'm brilliant with computers, just you watch. Hame, every switch on that bank up to maximum. I can't power up the city, but all the city needs is people.'

'So what are you going to do?'

'This!' the Doctor said, throwing a switch with a flourish he usually reserved for the TARDIS and causing the lights go out.

'No, no, no, no, no, no, no. The transformers are blocked,' the Doctor told them. 'The signal can't get through.'

['Doctor,'] the Face of Boe called in his mind.

'Yeah, hold on, not now.'

['I give you my last.'] The Face of Boe groaned and sighed as the power came back on.

The Doctor looked over his shoulder. 'Hame, look after him. Don't you go dying on me, you big old face. You've got to see this.' He went over to a lever and pulled it. 'The open road. Ha!'

Down on the motorway, Rose wasn't having much luck either as Milo's car was grabbed by a claw. Fortunately, another crab monster wanted to eat them as well, and knocked them free.

Suddenly, the Doctor's face appeared on the monitor. 'Oi! Car four six five diamond six. Rose! Drive up!'

Rose squealed with delight. 'That's the Doctor!'

'We can't go up! We'll hit the layer!' Milo warned.

Rose gave him a stern look. 'Just do as he says! Go up!'

'You've got access above,' the Doctor told him. 'Now go!'

Milo weaved in between the snapping claws of the monsters and steered the car up towards the light.

Cheen looked out the window with tears in her eyes, and they weren't because it was so bright. 'It's daylight. Oh my God, that's the sky. The real sky.'

Rose jumped up and down and clapped her hands. 'He did it! I told you he'd do it!'

The Doctor was looking out of a window at the city of New New York, whilst on the open microphone. He was talking to one of the drivers that he'd met on the motorway; a nice cat called Brannigan. 'You keep driving, Brannigan. All the way up. Because it's here, just waiting for you. The city of New New York, and it's yours. And don't forget I want that coat back.'

'I reckon that's a fair bargain, sir,' Brannigan's Irish brogue replied through the speaker.

'And Car four six five diamond six, I've sent you a flight path. Come to the Senate.'

'On my way,' said Rose.

'It's been quite a while since I saw you, Rose Tyler,' he said to himself as he gazed out of the window.

'Doctor!' Novice Hame called out in alarm. A big crack had appeared in the Face of Boe's tank and was spreading.

Milo and Cheen landed on the roof of the Senate, and Rose hugged them, wishing them well with the baby. She hurried down the steps and made her way into the Senate Chamber, stopping in shock as she saw the remains of the Senators in their seats.

She saw a solitary skeleton on the floor in front of her. Surely the disease couldn't do that to someone in a short space of time could it? With all the weird stuff she'd seen travelling with the Doctor, of course it could!

'Doctor?' she called hesitantly, not wanting it to be true.

'Over here,' he called from around the corner.

'Doctor! What happened out there?' Rose asked as she ran around the corner. She skidded to a halt as she took in the scene in front of her.

'Oh my God, it's the Face of Boe,' she gasped. The Face of Boe was lying in front of his tank; the Doctor and Novice Hame were kneeling in front of him.

['Hello Rose. It is good to see you again my beautiful friend.']

'And you remember Novice Hame of course,' the Doctor said.

Rose gave her a suspicious look. 'Yeah. How could I forget her and what she did here?'

'Now now Rose. People can change, make amends for their sins.'

'My lord gave his life to save the city, and now he's dying,' said Hame sadly.

'No, don't say that. Not old Boe. Plenty of life left.'

['It's good to breathe the air once more.']

Rose knelt down next to the Doctor. 'But you can't die.'

'Legend says the Face of Boe has lived for billions of years. Isn't that right? And you're not about to give up now,' the Doctor told him.

['Everything has its time. You know that, old friend, better than most.']

'The legend says more,' Hame reminded the Doctor.

'Don't. There's no need for that.'

But Novice Hame continued. 'It says that the Face of Boe will speak his final secret to a traveller.'

'Yeah, but not yet,' said the Doctor. 'Who needs secrets, eh?'

['I have seen so much. Perhaps too much. I am the last of my kind, as you are the last of yours, Doctor,'] the Face of Boe thought in their heads.

'That's why we have to survive. Both of us. Don't go,' he pleaded.

['I must. But know this, Time Lord. You are not alone.'] The Face of Boe breathed out for one last time, and closed his eyes. Novice Hame started to quietly weep.

Back in the under city, the Doctor inspected one of the kiosks. 'All closed down.'

'Happy?' Rose asked with a smile.

He smiled back. 'Happy happy. New New York can start again. And they've got Novice Hame. Just what every city needs. Cats in charge. Come on, time we were off.'

They started walking back to the TARDIS. 'But what did he mean, the Face of Boe? You're not alone?'

The Doctor shrugged. 'I don't know.'

'Could there be another Time Lord out there? Another survivor of the Time War?'

'No,' he said sadly, shaking his head. 'I'd know . . .' he said, tapping his temple.

'It must be me then,' she declared. 'You're not alone 'cos you've got me.' She hugged his arm and gave him her special smile.

He laughed and nodded. 'Yeah, that must be it. Like Sonny and Cher, "I've got you babe",' he sang.

Rose sang the next line with slightly altered lyrics. 'I got flowers in the spring; I'll get you to wear my ring,'

'And when I'm sad, you're around,' he replied.

'Ooh, hang on,' she said, 'this bit's mine. And when I get scared you're always around.'

'So let them say your hair's too long.' He sang as he looked up at his own unruly mop and gave her a grin. 'I don't care, with you I can't go wrong.'

Together they sang. 'Then put your little hand in mine, there ain't no hill or mountain we can't climb.' They held hands as they reached the doors of the TARDIS.

They stopped and turned to look at each other, both smiling as they sang the last line. 'Babe . . . I've got you babe . . . I've got you, Babe.'


	7. Evolution of the Daleks in Manhattan

**Chapter 7**

 **Evolution of the Daleks in Manhattan**

'Where are we?' Rose asked with a smile as she stepped out of the TARDIS, looking out over a bay, with skyscrapers in the distance.

The Doctor stepped out after her, and took a few steps forward. 'Hah, smell that Atlantic breeze . . . nice and cold, lovely.' He turned to face her and then looked up. 'Rose, have you met my friend?'

She turned around and looked up also. 'Is that . . . ? Oh my God! That's the Statue of Liberty!'

'Gateway to the New World,' he said. 'Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to break free . . .'

'That's so brilliant. I've always wanted to go to New York. I mean the real New York, not the new, new, new, new, new . . .'

'Well,' he said turning back to look over the Hudson River towards Manhattan. 'There's the genuine article. So good, they named it twice. Mind you, it was New Amsterdam originally, harder to say twice. No wonder it didn't catch on. New Amsterdam, New Amsterdam.'

'I wonder what year it is 'cos look, the Empire State Building's not even finished yet.'

'Work in progress. Still got a couple floors to go, and if I know my history, that makes the date somewhere around . . .'

Rose picked up a discarded newspaper while he was talking. 'November 1, 1930,' she said.

'You're getting good at this.' He turned around, and realised that she'd been cheating.

'Eighty years ago,' she said, as the Doctor took the newspaper and started to read the lead story. 'Come on, you. Where do we go first?'

She looked at him, and realised that he was frowning at the story. 'I think our little sightseeing tour just got longer,' he said, as he showed her the headline.

'Hooverville Mystery Deepens,' she read. 'What's Hooverville?'

'I think I'd better show you. Come on; let's get the ferry over to Manhattan Island.'

They wandered down onto the jetty that led to the "Old Ferry Dock", and boarded the Battery Park - Liberty Island paddle steamer ferry. As they made their way across the Hudson, Rose looked on in wonder at the steam ships powering their way through the water, along with Clippers and Schooners in full sail, making their way in from the Atlantic and heading for the Ellis Island Immigration Station.

The ferry docked at Battery Park, and they caught a bus which took them the four miles to Central Park. At the Museum of Art, on Fifth Avenue, they hopped off the bus and strolled through the park towards the shanty town on the Central Lawn.

'Herbert Hoover, Thirty First President of the USA, came to power a year ago. Up till then New York was a boom town, the Roaring Twenties, and then . . .'

'The Wall Street Crash, yeah? When was that?' Rose asked.

'October 24, 1929. Whole economy wiped out overnight. Thousands of people unemployed. Suddenly the huddled masses doubled in number with nowhere to go. So they ended up here in Central Park.'

'What? They actually live in the park? In the middle of the city?' The Doctor didn't answer; he just gave her a look that said "you'd better believe it".

'Ordinary people . . . lost their jobs,' he told her as they walked through the cobbled together shacks. 'Couldn't pay the rent and they lost everything.' It reminded Rose of the Pharmacy shanty town that they'd visited in New New York, only a few hours earlier and five billion years in the future. 'There are places like this all over America . . . You only come to Hooverville when there's nowhere else to go.'

They came across some men fighting in a clearing between the tents. A big, dark skinned man, who they'd called Solomon was pulling them apart. He was wearing a long brown coat similar to the Doctors and a brown trilby hat.

'No stealing and no fighting. You know the rules. Thirteen years ago I fought in the Great War. A lot of us did. And the only reason we got through was because we stuck together. No matter how bad things get, we still act like human beings. It's all we got.'

The two fighters walked away as the Doctor nudged Rose's arm. 'Come on.' He went over to Solomon. 'I suppose that makes you the boss around here.'

'And, er, who might you be?'

'He's the Doctor. I'm Rose.'

'A doctor. Huh. Well, we got stockbrokers, we got a lawyer, but you're the first doctor. Neighbourhood gets classier by the day.'

'How many people live here?' Rose asked.

'At any one time, hundreds. No place else to go. But I will say this about Hooverville. We are a truly equal society. Black, white, all the same. All starving. So you're welcome, both of you. But tell me. Doctor, you're a man of learning, right? Explain this to me. That there's going to be the tallest building in the world. How come they can do that, when we got people starving in the heart of Manhattan?' Solomon walked off without waiting for an answer.

They followed him through the ramshackle camp until he stopped outside a tent, where he picked up a coffee pot and threw out the dregs.

The Doctor held up the newspaper and showed him the headline about the deepening mystery in Hooverville. 'So, men are going missing. Is this true?'

'It's true all right,' Solomon said.

'But what does missing mean? Men must come and go here all the time. It's not like anyone's keeping a register,' the Doctor said.

Solomon nodded to his tent. 'Come on in. This is different.'

'In what way?' asked Rose.

Solomon sat on his cot and beckoned them inside. 'Someone takes them, at night. We hear something, someone calls out for help. By the time we get there, they're gone like they vanished into thin air.'

'And you're sure someone's taking them?' the Doctor asked.

'Doctor, when you got next to nothing, you hold on to the little you got. Your knife, blanket, you take it with you. You don't leave bread uneaten, fire still burning.'

'Have ya been to the police?' Rose enquired.

'Yeah, we tried that. Another deadbeat goes missing, big deal.'

'So the question is, who's taking them and what for?'

They heard a voice call from outside. 'Solomon!' A young man appeared at the opening of the tent. 'Solomon, Mister Diagoras is here.'

Solomon stood and followed the young man out of the tent. The Doctor and Rose followed. In the clearing were three men in expensive suits.

'I need men. Volunteers. I've got a little work for you and you sure look like you can use the money.' The Doctor and Rose assumed that he was Diagoras.

'Yeah. What is the money?' the young man asked.

'A dollar a day.'

'What's the work?' Solomon asked.

'A little trip down the sewers. Got a tunnel collapsed needs clearing and fixing. Any takers?'

'A dollar a day? That's slave wage. And men don't always come back up, do they,' Solomon said.

'Accidents happen,' Diagoras said casually.

The Doctor's interest was piqued. 'What do you mean? What sort of accidents?'

'You don't need the work? That's fine. Anybody else?'

Diagoras's reluctance to answer his question sealed it. The Doctor was hooked. He raised his hand.

'Enough with the questions,' Diagoras said irritably.

'Oh, no, no, no. I'm volunteering. I'll go.'

Rose looked at him and raised her hand as well. 'I'll kill you for this.'

* * *

The Doctor left Rose with the showgirl Tallulah in her dressing room, while he went back to the props room of the theatre, to build a gadget that would analyse some green gunk he'd found in the sewer. They had climbed a ladder to escape some pig faced mutants, and ended up in a theatre, where a showgirl called Tallulah had held them at bay with an imitation revolver.

Tallulah was getting ready for her next show, and had put on her skimpy angel costume. Rose had immediately taken a liking to Tallulah, when she'd had the nerve to threaten them with a gun that wasn't even real. That took guts.

Tallulah was telling her about her boyfriend who had gone missing. 'Laszlo. He'd wait for me after the show. Walk me home like I was a lady. He'd leave a flower for me on my dressing table. Every day, just a single rose bud.'

'Haven't you reported him missin'?'

'Sure. He's just a stagehand. Who cares? The management certainly don't.'

Rose remembered that Solomon had said something similar about the missing people in Hooverville. 'Can't you kick up a fuss or somethin'?'

'Okay, so then they fire me.'

'But they'd listen to you. You're one of the stars.'

'Oh, Honey, I got one song in a back street revue and that's only because Heidi Chicane broke her ankle. Which had nothing to do with me whatever anybody says. I can't afford to make a fuss. If I don't make this month's rent, then before you know it, I'm in Hooverville.'

Rose remembered her mum having to do hairdressing on the estate to make ends meet, and that was with housing benefits. People here had no such support. 'Okay, I get it.'

That set Rose thinking about her mum. How was she getting on? She certainly wouldn't have to worry about money ever again. She wondered how the pregnancy was progressing and whether she would have a brother or a sister. It didn't really matter, she would never know.

'It's the Depression, Sweetie,' Tallulah said, bringing her out of her melancholy thoughts. 'Your heart might break, but the show goes on. Because if it stops, you starve. Every night I have to go out there, sing, dance, keep going.' Her bottom lip trembled as she started to cry. 'Hoping he's going to come back.'

Rose instinctively pulled her into a comforting hug and rubbed her back. 'I'm sorry.'

'Hey, you're lucky, though. You got yourself a forward thinking guy with that hot potato in the sharp suit.'

'Hot potato? More like a bag of chips in newspaper,' Rose said with a lopsided smile. 'I don't think he's ready to commit to a relationship just yet.'

'Oh, sure he is. I've seen the looks you two give each other. It's obvious.'

'Not to him.'

'Oh, I should have realised. He's into musical theatre, huh?' said Tallulah said. 'What a waste. Still, you got to live in hope.'

Rose was trying to work out what she was talking about, when the penny finally dropped, along with her jaw. 'Musical theatre, you think he's gay. Oh he is SO not gay,' she laughed.

'No Honey. I wasn't saying whether he was happy or sad, I was saying whether he was a . . . you know . . . a homosexual.'

It dawned on Rose that in the 1930's, gay just meant happy. She started to laugh, and thought about what she had just said. "He is SO not happy," is how it sounded to Tallulah, and she laughed even more.

Tallulah was completely baffled by Rose's amusement. 'Are you okay Sweetie?'

Rose was going to tell her that she found something funny but said, 'it's okay, I'm just gay,' and collapsed into fits of laughter again. When she had recovered from her laughing fit, she tried to explain. 'It's just that he's had a lot of trauma in his life, what with the war an' everythin' . . . he just needs time.'

'Oh, he saw action in the trenches did he?' Tallulah asked, thinking Rose was talking about the Great War in Europe, rather than a Time War on Gallifrey. 'You just got to hold on to your hope Honey. It's the only thing that's kept me going because, well, look.' She picked up a single white rose and handed it to Rose. 'On my dressing table every day still.'

'You think it's Laszlo?'

'I don't know. If he's still around, why is he being all secret like he doesn't want me to see him?'

Rose was reminded of the time her mum took her to see "Phantom of the Opera" in the West End. Mickey had gone to a football match that evening, so they had a girls night out. She remembered the plot was about a disfigured man who lurked in the theatre, and was in love with the female lead.

Maybe Laszlo had been disfigured in an accident and didn't want Tallulah to think she had to stay with him out of pity. Or, maybe he was in trouble and lying low, getting one of the stage hands to put a rose on her dressing table on his behalf.

Before she could voice these theories, Tallulah hurried out into the corridor. 'Girls, it's show time!'

'Lois, you spoil my chasse tonight, I'm going to punch you,' one of the scantily clad dancers said.

'Aw, quit complaining, Myrna. Go buy yourself some glasses,' Lois replied.

Tallulah turned back to Rose. 'Come on, Honey. Take a look. Ever been on stage before?'

'Oh, a little bit. You know, Shakespeare,' Rose said trying to sound all high brow and impressive.

'How dull is that?' Tallulah howled. 'Come and see a real show.'

"Dull!" Rose thought to herself. "If you only knew".

The Doctor was up in the lighting gallery, using the heat from one of the spot lamps to warm up the green gunk, and scanning it with the gadget he'd cobbled together.

'This is artificial.'

From the stage below, the Master of Ceremonies introduced the performers. 'Ladies and gentlemen. The Laurenzi.'

'Genetically engineered. Whoever this is, oh, you're clever,' he said to himself.

'Dancing devils, with Heaven and Hell!' the voice announced from below.

Rose watched from the wings as the curtains opened to show the chorus line in their skimpy red devil dresses, who pulled back their red feather fans to reveal Tallulah, the angel in white.

Across the stage, in the wings opposite, Rose spotted a pig-man watching the performance. He seemed to be paying particular attention to Tallulah. She tried to sneak across the back of the stage unnoticed, which didn't go well.

In the lighting gallery above, oblivious to the chaos Rose was causing on stage, the Doctor was listening to the jellyfish with a stethoscope. 'Fundamental DNA type four six seven dash nine eight nine . . . Nine eight nine.' He pinched the bridge of his nose as he tried to think. 'Hold on, that means planet of origin . . .' A cold chill ran down his spine. 'Skaro!'

'Get off the stage. You're spoiling it!' Tallulah told Rose.

'But look. Over there!' Rose pointed to the wings where the pig-man was standing. Tallulah screamed and it ran away.

'Hey!' Rose called out and set off after it. 'Wait!'

It ran into the prop room where they had first entered the theatre. 'But you're different to the others! Just wait!' There was a clang from within the room, and when she entered, she was alone.

The Doctor ran into the corridor where all the dancers were standing around, busily discussing what had happened and what they thought they had seen. He saw Tallulah and hurried over to her.

'Where is she? Where's Rose?'

'I don't know. She ran off the stage.'

They heard a scream echo along the corridor from the direction of the props room. The Doctor recognised it at once.

'ROSE!' He ran down the corridor, with Tallulah following.

The props room was empty when he got there, and he could see the manhole cover was lifted slightly. He knew where Rose had gone. He slid the cover off the entrance and started to climb down.

'Where are you going?' Tallulah asked as she entered the room.

'They've taken her.'

'Who's taken her? What're you doing?'

Without answering, he disappeared down into the sewer.

* * *

'Look at this place. Top of the world,' Tallulah said as she walked into the works office at the top of the Empire State building with Rose, and a young Tennessee man from Hooverville called Frank.

Rose was sure the Doctor had given her the psychic paper to get in there, but wasn't sure why. She made her way over to a drawing board with the building blueprints on it.

'Okay, now this looks good,' she said.

Frank looked over her shoulder. 'Hey, look at the date. These designs were issued today. They must've changed something last minute.'

'You mean the Daleks changed somethin'?'

'Yeah, could be.'

Rose lifted the drawing and looked at the earlier revisions. 'The ones underneath, they're from before. That means that whatever they changed must be on this top sheet but not on this one. We need to check one against the other.'

Tallulah was looking around the untidy office. 'The height of this place! This is amazing.'

'Careful,' Rose called to her. 'we're a hundred floors up. Don't go wanderin' off.'

'I just want to see.' She went over to an open area and looked out towards the Chrysler Building. 'New York City. If aliens had to come to Earth, oh, no wonder they came here.'

When Tallulah came back in, Rose and Frank had the blueprints spread out on the floor.

'I'll go and keep an eye out. Make sure we're safe up here. Don't want nobody butting in,' Frank said, and headed for the lift.

'There's a hell of a storm moving in,' Tallulah told them.

'I wish the Doctor was here. He'd know what we're lookin' for.'

Tallulah knelt down beside Rose. 'So tell me, where did you and him first hook up?'

Rose looked off into the distance. 'I was workin' in a shop . . . a department store in London. He sort of blew it up.

'What the hell kind of doctor blows things up?' Tallulah asked with a laugh

'Actually, he's not a medical doctor, he's a kinda scientist.'

'If only he wasn't so different. You know what I mean?' Tallulah said sympathetically, knowing how Rose felt about him.

'Oh, you have no idea how different he really is.'

'Yeah, he's a man, sweetheart. That's different enough.'

'I recently gave up everythin' to stay with him, to travel with him, and it's brilliant! He's my best friend and we look out for each other, and I trust him with my life.'

Rose hesitated before continuing. Should she be telling her this? After all she'd only just met her, but Tallulah was so easy to talk to. 'There are times when he looks at me with those beautiful dark eyes of his, and I just melt. But it's as if there's somethin' holdin' him back, as though he can't take that next step.'

'Oh. Listen, sweetheart. You want to get all sad? You want to have a contest with me and Laszlo?'

'No. But listen, if the Doctor's with Laszlo now, there's every chance that he could get him out.'

'And then what? Don't talk crazy. There's no future for me and him. Those Dalek things took that away. The one good thing I had in my life and they destroyed it.' She stood up and walked back over to the opening to gaze out over the city.

Rose suddenly spotted the difference between the blueprints. 'Gotcha. Look. There, on the mast. Those little lines? They're new. They've added somethin', see?'

'Added what?' Tallulah asked, coming back to Rose and looking at the blueprints.

They thought about it and said it together. 'Dalekanium!'

While Rose and Tallulah were putting the blueprints back on the drawing board and showing Frank what they had found, they didn't notice the lift arrive. The doors opened, and the Doctor was standing there with the mutated Laszlo.

'Doctor!' Rose cried out with joy.

'First floor, perfumery,' he joked.

'I never thought I'd see you again,' Tallulah said tearfully.

'No stopping me,' Laszlo said, and they fell into a romantic embrace.

'We've worked it out,' Rose said with a certain amount of pride. 'We know what they've done. There's Dalekanium on the mast . . . And it's good to see you too, by thy way.'

'Oh, come here,' he said and swept her off her feet in an enthusiastic hug. It was at that point that the lift doors closed.

'No, no, no. See, never waste time with a hug.' He ran over to the lift control and took out his sonic screwdriver. 'Deadlock seal. I can't stop it.'

'Where's it goin'?' Rose asked with concern.

'Right down to the Daleks. And they're not going to leave us alone up here. What's the time?'

'Er, eleven fifteen,' Frank told him.

'Six minutes to go. I've got to remove the Dalekanium before the gamma radiation hits.'

'Gammon radiation? What the heck is that?' asked Tallulah.

They ran to the open area and looked out. 'Oh, that's high. That's very . . . Blimey, that's high,' the Doctor said.

'And we've got to go even higher. That's the mast up there, look. There's three pieces of Dalekanium on the base. We've got to get them off,' Rose said as they looked up the wooden ladder leading to the base of the mast.

'That's not we, that's just me,' he told her.

'I won't just stand here and watch you,' she replied.

'No, you're going to have your hands full anyway.' She saw that look of guilt and regret in his eyes. 'I'm sorry, Rose, but you've got to fight.'

* * *

The Doctor had given up trying to pull the Dalek panel off and looked at the top of the mast. Lightning struck the top of the mast which lit up the Doctor and caused him to scream. The electricity flowed down the conductor, and along the scaffolding poles that Rose and Frank had linked to the doors of the lift. The rest of it arced down the outside of the building and into the Dalek laboratory.

The pig-men in the lift that had come to kill them were all dead.

'You did it, Rose,' Tallulah said as they looked at the dead mutants.

Rose had a look on her face that she would have recognised if she'd seen it on the Doctor's. It was a mixture of guilt and regret. 'They used to be like Laszlo. They were people, and I killed them.'

'No,' Laszlo said. 'The Daleks killed them. Long ago.'

Rose suddenly realised that someone was missing. 'What about the Doctor?' She turned and ran to the open area outside.

They climbed the wooden ladder and found The Doctor lying by the mast, very still. Rose knelt beside him, while Frank held onto the mast and on to her.

'Doctor! Doctor? Look what we found halfway down.' She held up his sonic screwdriver. 'You're gettin' careless in your old age,' she tried to joke. She carefully, and oh so tenderly brushed the hair out of his eyes and kissed his forehead. 'C'mon, don't make me have to pinch your nose and kiss ya again.'

'Oh my head,' he groaned. His eyes flickered open and he smiled when he saw her worried face.

She smiled back at him and held his hand, hugging it to her chest. 'Hiya.'

'Hi. You survived, then.'

'So did you, just about.'

His smile turned to a frown. 'Why do you want to pinch my nose when you kiss me? Have you got oral hygiene issues?' He waggled his eyebrows and stroked her cheek in invitation.

'Hah!' Rose laughed and held his face as their lips found one another's.

After a brief but passionate kiss, their mouths separated. 'Mmmm. Yep, definitely becoming a habit,' he said.

Rose glanced at the base of the mast. 'I can't help noticin' . . . there's Dalekanium still attached.'

The Doctor suddenly sat upright, looking at the base of the mast. 'Come on. Can't lie about here all night, there's work to be done.'

He led them back down to the open area, and they looked out over the city. 'The Daleks will have gone straight to a war footing. They'll be using the sewers, spreading the soldiers out underneath Manhattan.'

'How do we stop them?' Laszlo asked.

'There's only one chance. I got in the way. That gamma strike went zapping through me first.'

'Yeah, but what does that mean?' Rose asked, as he strode away into the works office, too busy thinking to answer.

'We need to draw fire. Before they can attack New York, I need to face them. Where can I draw them out? Think, think, think, think, think. We need some sort of space. Somewhere safe. Somewhere out of the way . . .' He turned suddenly and shouted. 'TALLULAH!'

'That's me. Three Ls and an H.'

'The theatre! It's right above them, and, what, it's gone midnight? Can you get us inside?'

'Don't see why not.'

'Is there another lift?' he asked. the main one had been fried.

'We came up in the service elevator,' Rose told him.

'That'll do. Allons-y!'

* * *

There was a major battle going on in the theatre, between two Daleks, and the Dalek-Human hybrids. They were questioning the Daleks orders, because they had something extra in their DNA. Something unexpected, and just a bit brilliant.

When the lightning had struck the mast and energised the Darlekanium, it also energised the Artron energy inside a certain Time Lord who was hugging the mast. The Dalek-Human hybrids, were in fact Dalek-Human-Gallifreyan hybrids, and if there was one thing their Gallifreyan donor had in spades, it was an ability to question everything, that bordered on the rebellious.

'Exterminate!' the Daleks were declaring as beams of green energy passed to and fro between the stage and the stalls.

One of the Daleks exploded as a number of beams concentrated on it.

'Extermi . . .' the other Dalek soon followed suit as its head was blown off.

The Doctor stood up from between the seats where they had been taking cover. 'It's all right, it's all right, it's all right. You did it. You're free,' he told the Dalek-Human-Gallifreyan hybrids.

There was a high-pitched sound, and the mutants suddenly clutched their heads in agony before dropping to the ground. The Doctor knelt down by the nearest hybrid. 'No! They can't! They can't! They can't! They can't!'

'What happened? What was that?' Rose asked as she joined him.

'They killed them, rather than let them live. An entire species . . . Genocide.' He was outraged, and Rose could see the oncoming storm rising inside him.

'Only two of the Daleks have been destroyed. One of the Dalek masters must still be alive,' Laszlo said.

The Doctor stood. 'Oh, yes . . . In the whole universe . . . just one.'

The Doctor left the stalls, and made his way to the Dalek laboratory to find that last one Dalek. And he found it, wired into the computer that controlled the laboratory.

'Now what?' he asked from the doorway.

'You will be exterminated.'

'Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Just think about it, Dalek, what was your name?'

'Dalek Caan.'

He put his hands in his pockets and walked forward. 'Dalek Caan.' He knew that name from the battle of Canary Wharf. 'Your entire species has been wiped out . . . And now the Cult of Skaro has been eradicated, leaving only you. Right now you're facing the only man in the universe who might show you some compassion.'

The Dalek remained silent. 'Because I've just seen one genocide. I won't cause another . . . Caan, let me help you . . . What do you say?'

'Emergency temporal shift!' The cables fell off and Caan disappeared in a flash of light.

'Garrrgh!' The Doctor ran forward, but it was too late, the Dalek had gone.

He heard Rose call from the corridor outside. 'Doctor! Doctor! He's sick.' Rose and Tallulah were supporting Laszlo as they came into the laboratory. He collapsed on the floor. 'It's okay. You're all right.'

Tallulah was cradling him in her arms. 'What is it, Doctor? What's the matter with him? He says he can't breathe? What is it?'

'It's time, Sweetheart.'

'What do you mean, time?' she cried. 'What are you talking about?'

'None of the slaves survive for long. Most of them only live for a few weeks. I was lucky. I held on because I had you. But now, I'm dying, Tallulah.'

'No, you're not. Not now, after all this.' She looked up imploringly. 'Doctor, can't you do something?'

'Oh, Tallulah with three Ls and an H,' he said quietly, 'just you watch me.' He sprang to his feet, took off his long coat, and looked around. 'What do I need? Oh, I don't know. How about a great big genetic laboratory? Oh look, I've got one. Laszlo, just you hold on. There's been too many deaths today.'

He started running around the laboratory gathering ingredients as he went. 'Way too many people have died. Brand new creatures and wise old men and age old enemies. And I'm telling you, I'm telling you right now, I am not having one more death! You got that? Not one.' He took out his stethoscope and put it around his neck. 'Tallulah, out of the way. The Doctor is in!'

* * *

The rag-tag group of misfits were standing around a bench in Central Park. Frank, who had become the spokesman for the inhabitants of Hooverville, since Solomon had been killed by the Daleks, had returned from the shanty town.

'Well I talked to 'em and I told 'em what Solomon would've said and I reckon I shamed one or two of 'em,' he told Laszlo and Tallulah.

'What did they say?' the Doctor asked.

'They said yes,' Frank said with a smile. Tallulah hugged Laszlo around his neck.

'They'll give you a home, Laszlo . . . I mean, uh . . . don't imagine people ain't gonna stare. I can't promise you'll be at peace but, in the end, that is what Hooverville is for . . . people who ain't got nowhere else.'

'Thank you. I . . . I can't thank you enough,' Laszlo said.

'Well Rose, I reckon that we need to get moving if we're going to catch the ferry over to Liberty Island,' the Doctor said.

He turned to Laszlo, Tallulah and Frank. 'Good luck, and don't be too despondent, this depression doesn't last forever . . . in a few years time, I think America will recover, and over the next few decades will become a force to be reckoned with.' They all shook hands and hugged, and the Doctor and Rose walked out of Central Park, to catch a bus to Battery Park.

On Liberty Island, they walked up from the jetty. 'Do you reckon it's gonna work, those two?' Rose asked.

The Doctor turned and looked out over the bay. 'I don't know, anywhere else in the universe, I might worry about them, but New York, that's what this city's good at . . . Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses, and maybe the odd pig-slave-Dalek-mutant-hybrid too.'

Rose laughed at that last bit. 'The pig and the showgirl.'

He smiled at that himself. 'The pig and the showgirl.'

'Just proves it, I suppose,' she stated. 'There's someone for everyone.' She reached down and held his hand, their fingers intertwined. 'I mean, look at us. The Time Lord and the shop girl.'

'Rose Tyler, you were never just a shop girl,' he said with authority.

'I was till you blew my shop up.' She looked up and saw him smile, but there was a haunted sadness in his eyes. 'Meant to say . . . sorry.'

'What for?' he asked.

'Just 'cos Dalek Caan got away again. I know what that means to you. Think you'll ever see it again?'

He unlocked the TARDIS door and thought about her question. While there was just one Dalek alive in the universe, then all life was in danger.

'Oh yes,' he said, that one Dalek would find a way of cloning itself and producing an army. He held the door open, and she walked past him. He paused in the doorway and gazed out into the distance.

'One day,' he said quietly, before going inside and closing the door.


	8. The Lazarus Experiment

**Chapter 8**

 **The Lazarus Experiment**

Rose sat down on the sofa in the living room of the TARDIS, and had a sip of her tea. The Doctor had put the plates and cutlery from their lunch in the dishwasher, and joined her a few minutes later. He put his mug on the low table, and turned on the TV before settling back and putting his arm out in an invitation for Rose to snuggle up.

Rose shuffled up to him and rested her head on his shoulder, as she cradled her mug in her hands. 'Doctor?'

'Mmmm,' he replied, as he channel surfed.

'When the recession ends, and Hooverville is disbanded, what'll happen to Laszlo? I mean, I've seen the film "The Elephant Man" and people can be really cruel.'

He stopped surfing, leaving the TV on a news channel, and looked down at her. 'You're right. Fear of things that are different can cause the unenlightened to react violently.'

'Right. Which means he and Tallulah are in for a hard time of it in the outside world. Isn't there anythin' we can do for them?'

'Well. They'll have about ten years living in the park, and then America gets drawn into World War II. He'll need some serious plastic surgery that won't be available until the end of the century.'

'That's a shame, 'cos they were such a lovely couple.'

The Doctor was distracted by a news item on the TV. 'Isn't that Martha's sister standing behind that old chap they're interviewing?'

Rose leaned forward slightly and screwed her eyes up. 'Oh yeah. Tish wasn't it?'

'That's right. Let's have a listen, see what it's all about.'

['Tonight, I will demonstrate a device which will redefine our world.']

'Who is that bloke then?'

'No idea. Some sort of egotistical scientist doing some self promotion.'

['With the push of a single button, I will change what it means to be human.']

'You're not keen on scientists announcin' new discoveries, are ya?'

'Nah. They tend to be more businessman than scientist. Y'know, more interested in profit than in benefit to manki . . . I'm sorry. Did he just say he was going to change what it means to be human?'

Rose sat up as he leaned forward and rewound the news report. ['With the push of a single button, I will change what it means to be human.']

'What does that even mean?' she asked him as she finished her tea.

'Good question.' He pressed a few more buttons on the remote. ['Tonight, I will demonstrate a device which will redefine our world.']

'You want to go and see, don'tcha?'

'Wellll. It does promise to be historic.'

The Doctor parked the TARDIS on a pedestrian footpath, next to Southwark Cathedral, just off Montague Close. He stepped out wearing his dinner suit and black tie, with black trainers of course. Rose followed him out wearing a beautiful metallic blue, low backed halter neck evening gown, matching high heeled shoes, a white shawl across her shoulders, and a silver clutch bag.

'Oh, black tie. Whenever I wear this, something bad always happens.'

'The Dinner Suit of Doom,' Rose joked. 'Anyway, it's not the outfit, that's just you. Anyway, I think it suits you. In a James Bond kind of way.'

'James Bond? Really?' He held his arm out for her and put on a Sean Connery voice. 'Come on then Miss Moneypenny. The mad scientist is this way.'

She laughed. 'Moneypenny? I'm gonna be the femme fatale.'

They walked along Montague Close, around the corner and up to a building labelled Lazarus Laboratories. 'Any of this look familiar?' he asked her.

'Don't think so . . . should it?'

'About 400 years ago, we passed by here to go to the theatre.'

'The Globe Theatre and Womaniser Will!'

'Womaniser Will? You can't call him that. He's one of the most brilliant literary minds your species has ever produced!'

'All right then. Will o' the Wanderin' Hands. Look, just 'cos he's a literary genius, it don't stop him bein' a git does it? He was all over Martha like a rash. More arms than an octopus. And 'im a married man an' all.'

'You're getting to sound more like Jackie every day.'

'Ooh don't,' she laughed, and then he saw her face take on that melancholy look it always did when she thought about her mum.

'Sorry. That was thoughtless of me.'

She looked up at him and smiled. 'Nah, it's okay. If we don't mention her, then it's like we've forgotten her, and I don't ever want to forget her. Anyway, talkin' of Martha, I wonder if she'll be here tonight?'

'If we're lucky,' he said as he approached the door security. He took out his wallet of psychic paper and held it up. 'Doctor Smith, and Miss Tyler, my P.A. Scientific advisor to the government and UNIT.'

'P.A?' Rose whispered with an elbow in his ribs.

The security man consulted a clipboard of names. 'Oh you won't find me on there. I've been sent by the P.M to make detailed observations of Professor Lazarus's demonstration and report back to her.'

'Him!' Rose interjected. Harriet Jones had lost the last election.

'Him,' The Doctor corrected. 'All a bit last minute. We were pulled from a project to oversee the migration of hedgehogs across a main road in Surbiton. I recommended putting in culverts, a sort of hedgehog subway, but then you've got to try and train the little blighters to use them.'

The security man had a dribbled down his Dinner Suit expression as Rose tried to stifle a fit of giggles. 'Go and check with the professor,' the security man said to his colleague.

The elderly gentleman they'd seen on the news approached, with Tish Jones at his elbow. 'Is there a problem?' he asked security.

'Professor Lazarus! Oh this is brilliant,' the Doctor said, grabbing his hand and shaking it vigorously. Perhaps a little too vigorously for the frail condition of the professor.

'Do I know you?'

'Eh? Oh, I'm the Doctor, government scientific advisor and consultant to UNIT. This is Rose, my . . .' He saw the look Rose gave him, the "just you try that again mister" look. 'Companion, my plus one as it were. Your work on gene therapy and sequencing is legendary. Do you know Rose, the professor was on the team that first mapped the entire human genome.' The Doctor had looked him up in the TARDIS.

'Didn't my office contact you? We were given the contact name of . . . who was it Rose?'

'Tish Jones?' Rose said tentatively.

'Oh my God it's you!' Tish said. Her sister had told her about a doctor and his girlfriend called Rose.

'That's right, it's us. Ooh look you've got nibbles,' he said as he walked past the group of stunned people, pulling Rose along by the hand after him. She gave them an apologetic smile as she passed them by.

'I'm sorry Professor. I literally have no idea what just happened,' Tish apologised.

'Oh don't worry my dear. No harm done, and a report direct to the Prime Minister may be very advantageous.'

'I love nibbles,' the Doctor said, as he picked up an h'orderve off a passing tray.

'Yeah, I know. How do you do that, just talk your way past security?'

'It's a gift. You lot love to chat and gossip. Ooh, champagne. This is very posh.' He grabbed two passing flutes of champagne and handed one to Rose before continuing. 'Just bombard people with babble, and you can get them to do anything you want. A piece of cake?'

'It might be for you,' said Rose.

'No. Cake. Over there. Would you like a piece?' He weaved his way over to the buffet.

'Don't ya ever stop eatin'? You should be the size of a house, an' look at ya, yer like a stick,' she said with a hint of jealousy.

'It's all the running. Oh black forest gateaux, and look, they've got forks to eat it with. No messy fingers.'

They helped themselves to a plate of gateaux, and the Doctor saw a problem. 'Ah. Now if I've got to use a fork, what do I do with my glass? Maybe I could put it in my pocket.'

'Don't you dare! There's a table over there.'

They reached the table and put down their glasses. 'Doctor? Rose?'

They turned around to see Martha Jones standing there, looking at them in wide eyed amazement. They recognised her Mother, Francine, (who looked like a bulldog licking its own wee off a thistle) and her brother Leo, who looked decidedly uncomfortable in a dinner suit.

'Martha Jones!' the Doctor said, putting down his plate and giving her a big hug.

'Hiya,' said Rose, hugging her as well. 'Nice dress. How's the studyin' goin'? Are ya a doctor yet?'

'Oh thanks,' Martha said, looking down at her black cocktail dress, and then gave them a puzzled look. 'You only saw me yesterday. I'm still cramming for my finals, so not a doctor yet. Leo's party last night, and this "do" tonight are rare nights off for me.'

'Are you going to introduce us, or should we just stand here like we don't exist?' Francine said rather rudely.

'These are friends of mine. The Doctor and his partner, Rose.'

'Doctor what?'

'No, it's just the Doctor. We've been doing some work together, y'know, for my finals,' Martha explained.

'You all right, mate?' Leo asked the Doctor in a friendly fashion, holding out his hand to shake.

'Yes. we're fine for drinks at the moment thanks,' he said with a cheeky grin before shaking his hand.

Leo looked as though he was going to hit the Doctor, and Rose shook his hand. 'He's windin' ya up,' she laughed. 'He gets it all the time when he's wearin' black tie.'

The Doctor gave Leo's shoulder a friendly slap. 'Yeah, nobody ever thinks we're secret agents, do they lad. You never see James Bond being asked to get someone a drink.' He turned to Francine, who didn't share his sense of humour. 'It's lovely to meet you, Mrs Jones. Heard a lot about you.'

'Have you? What have you heard, then?' she asked suspiciously.

Rose stifled a laugh at the stumped expression on his face, waiting for him to babble his way out of that one.

'Oh, you know, that you're Martha's mother and . . . er, no, actually, that's about it. We haven't had much time to chat. You know, been busy.'

'Busy? Doing what, exactly?'

'Oh you know. Studying and stuff. Helping your brilliant daughter prepare for her exams. Her trauma medicine is exceptional. Literally a life saver.'

'Nice recovery,' Rose whispered to him, which got a stern look from Francine. "She has hearing like a bat," Rose thought to herself.

Before Francine could interrogate them any further, Tish joined them. 'Er, Doctor. I'm sorry about the confusion at the door, only I'm fairly certain that I didn't receive a communiqué from your office.'

'Oh, not to worry, we're in now. I'll get my P.A to look into it tomorrow. Won't I Rose.

'You'll be lookin' at my fist in a minute.'

'P.A,' Tish said, impressed with Rose's apparent position.

'He wishes,' Rose said, giving the Doctor a playful, disapproving look. Martha snorted a laugh.

'So, this Lazarus, he's your boss?' the Doctor asked Tish.

'Professor Lazarus, yes. I'm part of his executive staff.'

'She's in the PR department,' Martha told them proudly.

'I'm head of the PR department, actually. I put this whole thing together.'

'So do you know what the professor's going to be doing tonight? That looks like it might be a sonic microfield manipulator,' the Doctor said, nodding sideways to a circular dais in the middle of the room. On it, was a man-sized frosted glass chamber and four upright posts, slightly curved at the top to aim at the chamber.

Tish pulled a face. 'He's a science geek. I should have known. Got to get back to work now. I'll catch up with you all later,' she said to the group and moved away.

The Doctor leaned towards Rose. 'Science geek? What does that mean?'

'That your obsessively enthusiastic about it.'

He straightened up and sniffed. 'Oh, nice,' he said with a smile.

The lights dimmed, and a spotlight lit the dais. Professor Lazarus tapped on his glass for attention.

'Ladies and gentlemen, I am Professor Richard Lazarus and tonight I am going to perform a miracle. It is, I believe, the most important advance since Rutherford split the atom, the biggest leap since Armstrong stood on the moon. Tonight, you will watch and wonder. Tomorrow, you will wake to a world which will be changed forever.'

He went inside the chamber, and two women in white coats from his scientific staff started up the machine before pressing a big red button. The Doctor looked on in interest. He always liked a big red button, but in his experience, they usually meant trouble.

The four columns started to oscillate and rotate around the chamber as they poured energy into it. Electricity arced from the columns to the chamber. Unexpectedly, an alarm sounded.

The Doctor frowned. 'Something's wrong. It's overloading.'

The computer agreed with him as it flashed a "system overload" warning. There were sparks and smoke from the control consoles, as the Doctor leaped over them and took out his sonic screwdriver.

The elderly associate of Lazarus, Lady Thaw shouted as she saw the Doctor messing with the controls. 'Somebody stop him. Get him away from those controls!'

'If this thing goes up, it'll take the whole building with it. Is that what you want?' He pushed buttons and flicked switches, before running around a console and pulling out a thick cable. The spinning, rotating columns slowed down and finally stopped.

Rose and Martha hurried forwards and pulled at the door as the Doctor joined them. 'Get it open.'

Rose pulled the door open, and a dense mist drifted out of the chamber; a young man emerged unsteadily. Lady Thaw gasped with pleasure.

'Ladies and gentlemen, I am Richard Lazarus. I am seventy six years old and I am reborn!' He held his arms high, and the guest went wild with their applause.

'He did it!' Lady Thaw exclaimed. 'He actually did it.'

'It can't be the same guy. It's impossible. It must be a trick,' said Martha.

'Oh, it's not a trick. I wish it were,' the Doctor said.

'What just happened then?' Rose asked. 'Was it like . . . y'know a regeneration or somethin'?'

'No, that's just me. He just changed what it means to be human.'

'Excuse me,' Lady Thaw said to Lazarus. 'That was the most astonishing thing I've ever seen. Look at you.'

'This is only the beginning. We're not just making history, we're shaping the future, too.'

'Think of the money we'll make. People will sell their souls to be transformed like that. And I'll be first in line.'

Lazarus suddenly stiffened and gasped, then grabbed a tray from a passing waiter and proceeded to eat all the food on it.

'Richard.!' Lady Thaw exclaimed in disgust.

'I'm famished.'

'Energy deficit,' explained the Doctor, who had wandered over. 'Always happens with this kind of process.'

'Nice cup of tea should see ya right,' Rose added helpfully.

'Oh yeah! Superheated infusion of free radicals and tannin,' he said with a grin.

'You speak as if you see this every day, Mister?'

'Doctor. And well, no, not every day, but I have some experience of this kind of transformation.'

'That's not possible,' said Lazarus.

'Using hypersonic sound waves to create a state of resonance. That's inspired.'

'You understand the theory, then.'

'Enough to know that you couldn't possibly have allowed for all the variables.'

'No experiment is entirely without risk.'

'That thing nearly exploded. You might as well have stepped into a blender.'

'You're not qualified to comment,' Lady Thaw said sharply.

'If I hadn't stopped it, it would have exploded.'

'Then I thank you, Doctor. But that's a simple engineering issue. What happened inside the capsule was exactly what was supposed to happen. No more, no less.'

'Surely you've no way of knowin' that until you've run proper tests,' Rose said, taking the Doctor's side.

'Look at me. You can see what happened. I'm all the proof you need.'

'This device will be properly certified before we start to operate commercially,' Lady Thaw told them.

Rose knew from first hand experience what that would lead to. 'Commercially? You are jokin'. That'll cause chaos.'

'Not chaos, change. A chance for humanity to evolve, to improve,' Lazarus said grandly.

Commercially. So he was right. It wasn't about benefiting mankind, it was about benefiting their bank accounts. 'This isn't about improving. This is about you and your customers living a little longer.'

'Not a little longer, Doctor. A lot longer. Perhaps indefinitely.'

'Richard, we have things to discuss, upstairs,' Lady Thaw said.

'Goodbye, Doctor. In a few years, you'll look back and laugh at how wrong you were,' said Lazarus, as he took Rose's and Martha's hands, kissed them, and then left with Lady Thaw.

'Oh, he's out of his depth. No idea of the damage he might have done.'

'So what do we do now?' Martha asked.

'We?' he said with a question in his tone. 'Rose and myself will go and do some tests of our own. This building must be full of laboratories.'

Rose smiled at Martha and winked. 'Lucky we've just collected a DNA sample then, isn't it?' she said, holding up her hand with Martha. 'And also lucky that you've got a medical student as a laboratory assistant.'

'Oh, Rose Tyler, Martha Jones, you're are stars.'

* * *

In a laboratory, the Doctor found out that Lazarus had hacked into his DNA and altered it. Unfortunately, it was unstable, and was still mutating. They needed to find Lazarus, and find out what he was mutating into. They checked in his office on the top floor, but he wasn't there. What was there, was the drained husk of Lady Thaw. They didn't just need to find him now, they needed to stop him.

They strode into the reception area and looked around.

'I can't see him,' Martha said.

'Where the hell's he gone?' Rose asked.

'He can't be far,' the Doctor said. 'Keep looking.'

'Hey, you all right, Marth? I think Mum wants to talk to you,' Leo said as they walked past.

'Have you see Lazarus anywhere?' she asked him.

'Yeah, well, he was getting cosy with Tish a couple of minutes ago.'

'With Tish?' Rose interrupted. This was getting bad.

'Ah, Doctor,' Francine said, wanting to talk to him about his association with her daughter.

The Doctor ignored her. He needed to find Lazarus. 'Where did they go?'

'Upstairs, I think,' Leo said unconcerned. 'Why?'

'Doctor!' Francine said more sternly, but he ran past her, spilling her drink.

'Sorry,' Rose said, as she and Martha followed him out of the room.

'I'm speaking to you!' Francine called after him.

Martha looked back. 'Not now, Mum.'

The Doctor used his sonic screwdriver to find the energy signature of Lazarus's fluctuating DNA. He'd taken Tish to the roof. They all feared that she would end up like Lady Thaw, as Lazarus fed on her energy.

'And is it like you expected?' Tish asked Lazarus about his rejuvenated body.

Lazarus gazed, unseeing over the London skyline. 'I find that nothing's ever exactly like you expect. There's always something to surprise you.' He looked down at her and quoted Eliot. 'Between the idea and the reality, between the motion and the act . . .'

'Falls the Shadow,' the Doctor interrupted as he walked onto the roof with Rose and Martha.

'So the mysterious Doctor knows his Eliot. I'm impressed.'

Tish glared at her sister. 'Martha, what are you doing here?'

'Tish, get away from him.'

'What? Don't tell me what to do,' she said defiantly.

'Then listen to me,' Rose said forcefully. 'You really need to come over here, right now.'

The Doctor tried to keep Lazarus distracted. 'I wouldn't have thought you had time for poetry, Lazarus, what with you being busy defying the laws of nature and all.'

'You're right, Doctor. One lifetime's been too short for me to do everything I'd like. How much more I'll get done in two or three or four.'

'Doesn't work like that. Some people live more in twenty years than others do in eighty. It's not the time that matters, it's the person.'

'But if it's the right person, what a gift that would be.'

'Or what a curse. Look at what you've done to yourself.'

'Who are you to judge me?' Lazarus asked defiantly.

Martha called to her sister, beckoning to her. 'Over here, Tish.'

'You have to spoil everything, don't you? Every time I find someone nice, you have to go and find fault,' Tish protested, getting in her face.

'Tish, he's a monster!' Martha told her, as Lazarus had a spasm and fell to his knees.

'I know the age thing's a bit freaky, but it works for Catherine Zeta-Jones.'

Rose nodded; she could see where she was coming from there. "Try 900 years," she thought to herself as she watched Lazarus mutate. While they had been arguing, he'd been transforming, and Tish saw the looks on their faces as they looked past her. Tish turned around, and saw a massive bony scorpion with Lazarus's face.

'What's that?' she gasped.

The Doctor then said Rose's favourite word. 'Run!'

They made it inside the stairwell and the Doctor "sonicked" the door lock.

'Right Sunshine,' Rose said. 'Give 'em up.' She held her hand out to the Doctor.

'Eh?' he said with a frown, and then realised what she wanted. 'Oh, right.' He rummaged in his "bigger on the inside" jacket pockets, and pulled a ladies white trainer out of each one.

She took off her heels, handing them to him, and put on her trainers. 'There that's better.' She saw the puzzled looks from Martha and Tish. 'Y'see, I've learnt that when I wear a dress and heels, I have to run for my life.'

Lazarus banged on the outside of the door, making them all jump. 'And a man claimin' he can change what it means to be human . . . well, that was never goin' to end well, was it? So I got 'im to bring some backup.' The door dented as huge insect legs kicked it. 'You comin'?' she said, as she moved past them and started down the stairs.

The Doctor had left Rose to get everyone out of the building, by using his sonic screwdriver to reverse the security lockdown. Meanwhile, he was giving Lazarus the run around to buy her some time.

Rose was running along the corridors, looking for the Doctor. He had told her to get out of the building, but she knew he'd need her by his side. She heard an explosion from somewhere along an adjacent corridor. 'Ah, there you are.'

She ran in the direction of the explosion, and bumped into him as she turned a corner.

'What are you doing here?' he asked in surprise.

'I'm returnin' this,' she said, handing over his sonic. 'I thought you might need it.'

'How did you . . ?'

'I heard the explosion. Remembered our first meetin', and knew it would be you,' she said with a cheeky smile.

'I blasted Lazarus,' He told her. He'd turned the gas taps on and rigged the lights to short out.

'Did you kill him?' she asked hopefully.

She got her answer when the giant scorpion Lazarus burst out of the laboratory and jumped down the corridor.

'More sort of annoyed him, I'd say.' They ran away as fast as they could. Rose was really glad that she'd got her trainers on.

They ran back into the deserted reception area. 'What now? We've just gone round in a circle,' said Rose, as Lazarus bounded into the room and crouched menacingly.

'We can't lead him outside,' he said, that would put Martha and the crowd of people who had just escaped, back in danger. He pulled at the door of the sonic microfield manipulator chamber. 'Come on, get in.'

Rose climbed inside and the Doctor shut the door, locking them inside. 'Ooh, this is a bit cosy. Are we hidin'?'

'No, he knows we're here. But this is his masterpiece. I'm betting he won't destroy it, not even to get at us.'

'But we're trapped.'

'Well, yeah, that's a slight problem.'

'Oh let me guess. You don't have a plan?'

'Yes, the plan was to get inside here.'

'Then what?'

'Well, then I'd come up with another plan.'

'In yer own time, then,' she said sarcastically. He made to reach inside his jacket to get his sonic screwdriver, and inadvertently brushed her breasts in her low cut evening dress. 'Oi! Watch where yer puttin' yer hands.'

'Sorry.' He reached inside the pocket, and caught her with his elbow. 'Sorry.' He brushed against her again when he took the sonic out. 'Sorry.' He held it up in front of her face. 'Here we are.'

'What're yer gonna to do with that?'

'Improvise.'

Rose yelp in surprise as the Doctor slid down her body. 'Ooh! Cheeky.' On the floor, he opened a panel, and started working with the wires and processors he found there.

'I still don't understand where that thing came from. Is it alien?'

'No, for once it's strictly human in origin.'

'Human? How can it be human?'

'Probably from dormant genes in Lazarus's DNA. The energy field in this thing must have reactivated them. And it looks like they're becoming dominant.'

'So it's a throwback.'

'Some option that evolution rejected for you millions of years ago, but the potential is still there. Locked away in your genes, forgotten about until Lazarus unlocked it by mistake.'

'It's like Pandora's box.'

'Exactly. By the way, you've got really nice legs,' he said distractedly.

Suddenly, the chamber activated. 'Doctor, what's happenin'?'

'Sounds like he's switched the machine on.'

'And that's not good, is it?'

'Well, I was hoping it was going to take him a little bit longer to work that out.'

'I don't want to hurry ya, but . . .'

'I know, I know. Nearly done.'

'Well, what're ya doin'?' Rose asked him, her voice becoming urgent.

'I'm trying to set the capsule to reflect energy rather than receive it.'

'Will that kill it?'

'When he transforms, he's three times his size. Cellular triplication. So he's spreading himself thin.'

'We're gonna end up like him!'

'Just one more!' he said, and there was a blast of energy outside the chamber.

The machine wound down, and they opened the door to peep out.

'I thought we were gonna go through the blender then,' Rose said.

'Really shouldn't take that long just to reverse the polarity. I must be a bit out of practice.'

'Maybe I should wear trousers next time,' Rose suggested, thinking that he may have been distracted by her "nice legs".

They saw Lazarus lying on the floor, naked and apparently dead. 'Oh, God. He seems so human again. It's kinda pitiful.'

'Eliot saw that, too. This is the way the world ends. Not with a bang, but with a whimper.'

They waited while the paramedics wrapped his body in a red blanket and load it onto a stretcher.

'They're here,' Martha called out as the Doctor and Rose emerged from the building. 'Oh, they're all right.'

The Doctor undid his bowtie as they walked slowly down the steps. Francine strode towards them. 'Ah, Mrs Jones. We still haven't finished our chat.'

She slapped him hard across the face. 'Keep away from my daughter,' she said angrily. She didn't know what had gone on, but she was sure that he was responsible, and she didn't want him near Martha. Also he'd ruined her other daughter's chance to show she could organise a posh reception, and that man from the government had told her he was dangerous.

Rose stepped in front and held Francine's arm. 'Oi! Don't you DARE slap him. Only my mum slaps him. Got it?'

'All of the mothers, every time,' he said, rubbing his cheek.

'Mum, what are you doing?!' Martha shouted.

'He is dangerous. I've been told things,' Francine said.

'What are you talking about?' Martha asked her.

'Look around you. Nothing but death and destruction,' she said as the ambulance drove off.

Rose was seething. 'Oh yeah, and so that means he must have been responsible. Even when he got you all out, and risked his life to draw that thing back into the buildin'.'

'This isn't his fault,' Martha told her mum. 'He saved us, all of us!'

But Rose wasn't going to leave it there. 'Just because your man ran off with a blonde bimbo, and frankly, havin' met ya, I can see why. It doesn't mean that all men are untrustworthy, and it doesn't mean that all blondes are bimbos!'

The Doctor had an open mouthed, delighted and amazed smile on his face. Jackie had taught her daughter well.

Francine and her children stood there open mouthed in shock. Francine, because no one had ever had the nerve to answer her back, and her children, because they had never heard anyone stand up to their mother like that before. It was brilliant! If only their father had done that.

'And it was Tish who invited everyone to this thing in the first place,' Leo added sheepishly, breaking the stunned silence. 'I'd say technically, it's her fault.' Tish elbowed Leo in the ribs.

There was the sound of a vehicle crashing in the distance, and the Doctor ran off to investigate, with Rose by his side. Martha started to follow them, but her mother held her arm. 'Leave them,' Francine pleaded, but Martha shook her head and followed them down the street.

'Martha?' Tish called after her sister. She was feeling guilty, because Leo was right. She had been showing off to her family.

'Tish, No!' Francine said. 'With your boss gone, you're in charge here. You have responsibilities.'

Tish watched her sister disappear around the corner and turned to her mum. 'Yeah, you're right.'

As they ran down the street, they could see the ambulance had mounted the pavement outside Southwark Cathedral, and the back doors were wide open. Inside the ambulance, were the desiccated corpses of the paramedics.

'Lazarus, back from the dead. Should have known, really' the Doctor said sadly. Two more deaths on his conscious.

The Doctor took out his sonic screwdriver and scanned the area.

'Where's he gone?' asked Rose.

'That way. The church,' he said, looking up at St Mary Ovarie.

'Cathedral' Martha said, reading the orange and red shield on the stone column. 'It's Southwark Cathedral.'

'Oh very Hunchback of Notre Dame,' Rose said.

The Doctor led the way into the building, using his sonic to lead the way, with the ladies following.

'Ladies,' Lazarus leered from the far side of the bell tower.

'Stay behind me,' Rose said. 'If he takes me, make a run for it. Head down the stairs. You should have enough time.'

'No!' Martha said defiantly.

'No?'

'The Doctor needs you, not me. Let me do this for you.'

It was a moot point, as the Lazarus creature clambered under the bell, ignoring the wooden walkway.

It started lashing its tail, trying to hit the ladies so that it could absorb their energy. It caught Rose across her shoulder, and she pitched over the now broken railing.

'ROSE!' Martha called out as Rose managed to grab on to the edge of the wooden flooring. 'Hold on! Get away from her!'

In the organ loft, the Doctor had poked his sonic screwdriver into the pipe organ. 'I hope it's a good acoustic in here.' He pressed his feet down on both pedals and started playing sustained chords.

The Doctor could hear their screams coming from the bell tower. 'We need to turn this up to eleven.' He took the sonic out of the hole he had put it in, and moved it to another.

The organ notes reverberated, hurting the mutant as well as Rose and Martha. Rose started to lose her grip. Her ears felt as though they were exploding in agony, and she couldn't even cover them. The mutant stood over her, ready to strike and take her life, when it roared, arched its back, and toppled forwards out of the tower and down to the floor of the nave.

Rose squealed as she lost her grip and fell, only to have her arm grabbed by Martha. 'I've got you. Hold on.'

'Rose?' the Doctor shouted in horror.

'I'm okay!' she called back.

Martha helped her to clamber back up, which wasn't easy in a tight, revealing evening gown. 'We're both okay!' Rose said, adjusting her boobs back into her dress. 'Thanks.'

Down in the nave, the Doctor closed the young Lazarus's eyes, as his body reverted back to its original, aged form. He heard the ladies coming down the spiral stairs and ran over to meet Rose coming out of the stairwell. They fell into a relieved hug as he lifted her off her feet.

'Nice chords,' she said, a little too loudly. Her ears were still ringing.

'Oh, well, you know, if you hang around with Beethoven, you're bound to pick a few things up,' she saw his lips say.

'Hmm. Especially about playin' loud.'

He gave her a quick kiss on the lips and said, 'sorry?'


	9. 42

**Chapter 9**

 **42**

Rose slowly drifted back to reality after a refreshing night's sleep in her room. She yawned, stretched, and swept her hair back off her face. The last few days had been quite eventful, and not because of the adventures they'd had; that was fairly normal.

She'd had quite a few snogs with the Doctor. Okay, the first one he claimed was a genetic transfer, although it seemed a bit more enthusiastic than that. Then the next couple were mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, not quite as romantic as the first.

But the ones two days ago, and yesterday, she was sure were just kisses, with no other reason than that they just wanted to show their affection for each other. He'd even said it was becoming a habit, and she wanted it to be a hard habit to break.

Then there was Queen Elizabeth the First. She had called her Mistress Rose, the Doctor's wife. The Doctor had been dismissive of the significance of that, but she couldn't believe that the Queen would have said it if she didn't believe it was true. She suspected that the Doctor had been dismissive because of what he called spoilers, and she knew from first hand experience how dangerous those could be.

She wondered if it was because she had given up everything to be with him, her mum, her home, her friends, and shown him that she was committed to being with him for the rest of her life, that he was slowly showing her that he was also committed to being with her.

"Right, time to give him a treat then" she thought to herself as she headed for the shower. She always got appreciative looks from him when she showed off her legs, so she would wear her denim mini skirt and a vest top.

After getting dressed and putting her hair into pigtails, she went to the kitchen to have some breakfast and a cup of tea. That done, she finally headed for the console room.

'Mornin',' she said with a smile.

He glanced over at her and raised his eyebrows as he gave her his boyish smile. 'Looking good,' he told her.

She looked down at herself as though she hadn't noticed how she looked. 'Wha'? this get up? It's just somethin' I threw on,' she lied. "Yep, still got it" she thought to herself with her tongue between her teeth smile.

The TARDIS suddenly jerked sideways, throwing Rose to the floor. The Doctor managed to hold on to the console, and studied the monitor.

'Distress signal! Locking on!' His red converse flicked a lever on the console. 'Might be a bit of . . .' he started to say, as the TARDIS gave another jolt, throwing them around again. ' . . . Turbulence.' He popped his head above the console to see if she was alright. 'Sorry!'

'S'okay, I'm used to it.'

They both climbed to their feet. 'Come on Rose! Let's take a look!'

They stepped out into lots of steam and the place was glowing red.

['Distress signal transmitted,'] a computerised voice announced.

'Whoa, now that is hot,' the Doctor said.

['Automated distress signal transmitted,'] the computer repeated.

'Whuff, it's like a sauna in here,' Rose said, glad that she had decided to wear her denim mini skirt and a vest top.

'Venting systems. Working at full pelt, trying to cool down. Wherever it is we are. Well, if you can't stand the heat . . .' He opened a bulkhead door and went through. On the other side, they saw a label telling them they had left Area 30. Two men and a woman were running towards them.

'Oi, you two!' a young man shouted.

'Get out of there!' the young woman demanded.

'Seal that door, now!' the man ordered.

'Who are you? What are you doing on my ship?' the woman asked them.

'Are you police?' the man asked.

The Doctor frowned. 'Why would we be police?'

'We got your distress signal,' Rose told them.

'If this is a ship, why can't I hear any engines?' asked the Doctor.

'It went dead four minutes ago,' the woman captain said.

'So maybe we should stop chatting and get to Engineering, Captain,' the other man suggested.

['Secure closure active,'] the computer told them

'What?' the captain said.

'The ship's gone mad,' the second man said.

Another woman came running towards them through the compartments, bulkheads slamming shut behind her. 'Who activated secure closure? I nearly got locked into area twenty seven.'

The last bulkhead slammed shut, and she looked at the Doctor and Rose in surprise. 'Who are you?'

'He's the Doctor and I'm Rose . . . Hello.'

['Impact projection forty two minutes twenty seven seconds,'] the computer reported.

'We'll get out of this. I promise,' the captain said.

Rose was unperturbed. They had the TARDIS, they could get everyone out in no time at all. She wandered over to a porthole and looked out. What she saw, took her breath away.

'Doctor.'

'Forty two minutes until what?' the Doctor asked.

'DOCTOR! Look,' Rose called out urgently, and he rushed over to see what had got her all riled up.

'Forty two minutes until we crash into the sun,' the captain said as they looked out at a broiling sphere of superheated hydrogen plasma.

'How many crew members on board?' the Doctor asked.

'Seven, including us,' the captain told him.

'We transport cargo across the galaxy. Everything's automated. We just keep the ship space worthy,' said the second man.

The Doctor moved away from the porthole towards the bulkhead door. 'Call the others, I'll get you out.'

'What's he doing?' the first man said with alarm, as the Doctor started to open the door.

'No, don't!' The captain shouted.

When the door opened, the Doctor was knocked down by the blast of heat. Rose ran over and helped him to his feet. The second woman put on a welder's mask and shut the door again.

'But my ship's in there!' the Doctor complained.

'In the vent chamber?' the first man asked.

'It's our lifeboat,' the Doctor said.

'It's lava,' the second man told him.

The second woman looked at the gauge on the wall. 'The temperature's going mad in there. Up three thousand degrees in ten seconds, and still rising.'

'Channelling the air. The closer we get to the sun, the hotter that room's going to get,' said the first man.

'We're stuck here,' Rose complained.

'So, we fix the engines, we steer the ship away from the sun. Simple,' the Doctor explained as he set off through the compartment. 'Engineering down here, is it?'

The captain set off after him. 'Yes.'

Everyone else followed them out of the compartment. ['Impact in forty twenty six,'] the computer said to the empty room.

* * *

Simple it was not!

It was so far from simple that it was Rose's new description of their relationship. It was complicated. One of the crew, a man named Korwin McDonnell, who happened to be the husband of Captain Kath McDonnell, had sabotaged the engine controls. He seemed to be suffering from an alien infection. and the medical officer, Abi Lerner had put him into a stasis chamber to keep him stable.

Rose and crewman Riley Vashtee were trying to get to the Auxiliary Control Room, where the engines could be restarted. But, once again, that was SO not simple. The secure closure command meant that each bulkhead door had a security question locking it. They had already got through the first door, and Riley attached the laptop to the second door.

'Rose? Riley? How're you doing?' the Doctor asked over the intercom from Engineering.

'Oh, hiya. We're in Area 29, at the door to 28.'

'Yeah, you've got to move faster.'

She pulled a face at the intercom. 'We're doin' our best.'

Riley had accessed the door 28 interface. 'Find the next number in the sequence three one three three three one, three six seven . . . What?'

'You said the crew knew all the answers,' Rose said in accusation.

'The crew's changed since we set the questions.'

'You're jokin'?!'

Oh that was easy; the Doctor was doing recreational mathematics in kindergarten. 'Three seven nine!' he told them.

'What? Rose asked.

'It's a sequence of happy primes . . . Three seven nine.'

'Happy what?'

Oh come on, they didn't have time to discuss it. 'Just enter it.'

Riley paused. 'Are you sure? We only get one chance.'

That explains why they want to discuss it, the Doctor realised. 'Any number that reduces to one when you take the sum of the square of its digits and you continue iterating until it yields one is a happy number. Any number that doesn't, isn't. A happy prime is a number that is both happy and prime. Now type it in! I don't know, talk about dumbing down! Don't they teach recreational mathematics any more?'

'We're through!' Rose exclaimed.

'Keep moving, fast as you can,' the Doctor said, and went back to working on the engines. 'And, Rose, be careful. There may be something else on board this ship.'

Oh great. 'Any time you want to freak me out, feel free.'

'Will do, thanks,' he said cheerfully.

['Impact in thirty fifty,'] the computer updated them.

"No pressure then" Rose thought 'I can't believe our lives depend on some stupid pub quiz,' she said in an annoyed tone. 'Is that the next one?'

'Oh, this is a nightmare,' Riley said, reading the next question. 'Classical music. Who had the most pre-download number ones, Elvis Presley or The Beatles? How are we supposed to know that?'

Meanwhile, down in engineering, the Doctor was working on a contingency plan. 'We need a backup in case they don't reach the auxiliary engines in time. Come on, think. Resources. What have we got?' he asked Kath McDonnell and Orin Scannell.

Rose's voice came over the intercom. 'Doctor?'

'What is it now?'

'Who had the most number ones, Elvis or the Beatles. That's pre-download.'

'Elvis. No! The Beatles! No! Wait! Er, er. Oh, what was that remix? Er, I don't know. I am a bit busy.'

'Fine. I'll ask someone else,' she said sarcastically.

'Now, where was I?' he asked. 'Here comes the sun. No, resources. So, the power's still working, the generator's going. If we can harness that. Ah!'

'Use the generator to jump-start the ship,' McDonnell reasoned.

'Exactly. At the very least, it'll buy us some more time.'

McDonnell looked at him in amazement. 'That is brilliant.'

'I know. See? Tiny glimmer of hope,' he said with a smile.

'If it works,' Scannell said.

'Oh, believe me. You're going to make it work,' McDonnell told him.

'That told him,' the Doctor said to her.

['Impact in twenty nine forty six,'] the computer said. It was starting to get annoying.

In Area 28, Rose took out her mobile phone and looked at her speed dial list. She had been about to phone Mickey, who would have got the answer in seconds off the internet, when she had a reality check. She realised just how much she had given up in this universe.

It was time she tidied up her contacts list and deleted her mum's and Mickey's numbers, but that was just something she couldn't bring herself to do. She saw her best friend Shareen's number, but she wasn't that savvy with computers. And then she saw Keisha's number. Keisha was her other best friend who went out clubbing with her and Shareen, and she was good with computers.

'Rose? Is that really you?' Keisha asked. She'd seen the caller display on her phone.

'Yeah, hiya Keish, howya doin'?'

'Oh my God it is you. Where have you been? We thought you were dead.' Rose could hear her friend getting upset. 'Your mum's disappeared, your old flat is empty, and your mobile is unobtainable! We all thought you'd been killed by all those robots.'

'Oh Keish, I'm sorry. I should have called ya to let ya know we were all right. Things are a bit hectic at the moment; I'll talk to you later and explain. Right at this moment, I need some information off the internet, and although it doesn't sound like it, believe me, its life or death.'

'Oh my God, what have you gotten yourself mixed up with . . . hang on, I'm just opening the browser. Okay, what do you need?'

'Who had the most pre-download number ones, Elvis Presley or The Beatles?' Rose asked sheepishly. It didn't sound like a life or death question.

'Are you havin' a laugh? We don't hear from you for months 'cos you're travellin' the world with that fit bloke in the suit. A load of robots attack London, your mum goes missin', the flats empty, makin' it look like you're both dead, and you think a pub quiz is life or death,' she said angrily.

'I know how it sounds Keish, an' I'm really sorry, but trust me, if I don't get the answer right . . . I'm gonna die,' Rose said with the emotion creeping into her voice.

'Jesus! Er, Elvis. It's Elvis!'

'What? Really? Elvis?'

'Yeah, accordin' to the BBC website they were equal on 17 until they found a lost recording of "A Little Less Conversation" and released it in 2002.'

'Keish, you are a life saver . . . literally.'

There was a scream over the intercom, which was picked up by Rose's phone. 'What was that?' Keisha asked.

'I've gotta go. Talk to you later, promise.' Rose ended the call while Riley opened the door. 'Doctor, what were those screams?'

He didn't answer her question, he didn't want her distracted. 'Concentrate on those doors. You've got to keep moving forward.'

['Impact in twenty seven oh six.']

* * *

'Doctor, we're through to area seventeen,' Rose told him over the intercom.

'Keep going, you've got to get to area one and reboot those engines.'

In Engineering, Dev Ashton was working underneath the engine when someone entered. 'You got those tools, Erina? Because I . . .' He was suddenly pulled out from underneath the engine by his ankles. 'Whoa!'

It was Korwin McDonnell, and he pulled Ashton to his feet with his gauntleted hands.

'Korwin, it's me. We're mates.'

'They are getting too far. We must share the light.' Korwin held Ashton's head and it started to burn as Ashton screamed.

['Heat shields failing. At twenty percent,'] the computer announced.

'Come on!' Riley said, hitting his portable computer to try and get it to work faster. 'Everything on this ship is so cheap.'

They heard the bulkhead to area 18 behind them clang open. 'Who's there?' he called at the steam and smoke.

A figure appeared ominously through the steam. 'Is that Korwin?' Rose asked.

'No, wait a minute,' Riley said, as the helmeted figure approached. 'Oh, Ashton, what're you doing?'

'Burn with me,' Ashton said.

'Well, if you want to help,' Riley said.

'Burn with me,' Ashton repeated. 'Burn with me.' Ashton moved his hands up to the helmet to raise the Polaroid filter.

Somehow, Rose knew that would be bad . . . very bad. 'Move! Come on!' She opened the door to a small adjacent area, and then shut it when they were both inside. Ashton appeared at the window in the door, so Riley opened a small hatch and they climb through.

Ashton touched some controls and a second door slid closed over the hatch.

'What is happening on this ship?' Riley asked.

'Never mind that,' Rose said. 'Where are we?'

The computer answered her question. ['Airlock sealed. Jettison escape pod.']

'That doesn't mean us?' Rose asked Riley in disbelief. 'DOCTOR!'

['Pod jettison initiated.']

'Doctor! We're stuck in an escape pod off the area seventeen airlock. One of the crew's tryin' to jettison us! You've got to help us! Tell me you can stop it.'

In Engineering, they could all hear the fear in Rose's voice. 'Why is this happening?' McDonnell asked.

'Stay here,' he told them. 'I mean it this time! Jump start those engines!'

['Jettison held,'] the computer said in the escape pod.

Riley rested his weary head on the control panel. 'Thank you.'

The relief was short lived though, as Ashton started punching buttons on the keypad outside.

['Jettison reactivated.']

Rose screamed and banged on the window. She didn't want to die like this.

'Come on,' Riley encouraged the controls. They were like a couple of game geeks doing battle on a networked game.

'Tsilpinski sequence. This'll get him,' Riley said with confidence.

['Jettison held. Escape pod stabilised.']

Rose breathed a sigh of relief. 'You're pretty good.'

The Doctor ran into the airlock bay, and saw Ashton typing something else into his keypad. The battle of the keypads had started again.

'THAT'S ENOUGH!' he shouted with his usual authority. 'What do you want? Why this ship? Tell me.'

Ashton punched his fist through the keypad.

['Jettison activated.']

Riley looked at the keypad in a panic. 'He's smashed the circuit. I can't stop it. I can't stop it!'

The Doctor was standing toe-to-toe with Ashton 'Come on. Let's see you. I want to know what you really are.'

Ashton raised his hand to the visor, when he suddenly doubled over in pain. Down in Engineering, Scannell had opened a refrigeration valve on Korwin and he'd collapsed. It appeared Korwin and Ashton were somehow linked.

['Airlock sealed.']

Ashton ignored the Doctor and walked past him, back down the ship. The Doctor used the intercom to contact Engineering.

'McDonnell? Ashton's heading in your direction, He's been infected, just like Korwin!' he warned her.

'Korwin's dead, Doctor,' Scannell informed him.

Rose was at the door to the escape pod, looking for a manual override lever or something. 'This thing's locked!'

['Airlock decompression completed. Jettisoning pod.']

She looked up and saw the Doctor looking through the airlock door window. 'Doctor!' she called out, banging on the window of the pod.

She saw the anguish on his face. She saw him mouth the words, "I'll save you!"

'Rose, it's too late,' Riley said in resignation. He knew the launch sequence. Their fate was sealed.

'Doctor!'

"I'll save you!"

'I can't hear you!' There was a loud "clunk" as the holding clamps disengaged. She slowly started to drift away from her love.

"I'll save you!"

The pod slowly left the side of the ship and floated towards the sun.

"I'll save you!"

'I'm sorry . . . I love you.'

['Impact in seventeen oh five.']

'The wonderful world of space travel. The prettier it looks, the more likely it is to kill you,' Riley said as he looked over her shoulder.

'He'll come for us,' Rose said quietly, her voice full of emotion.

'No, it's too late. Our heat shields will pack in any minute, and then we go into free fall. We'll fall into the sun way before he has a chance to do anything.'

'You don't know the Doctor. I believe in him, and he won't stop until I'm back in his arms.'

'Then you're lucky. I've never found anyone worth believing in.'

'No girlfriend?' she asked, and then thought about Jack Harkness. 'Boyfriend?' she added for political correctness.

'The job doesn't lend itself to stable relationships.'

'Family, then?'

'My dad's dead, and I haven't seen my mum in six years. She didn't want me to sign up for cargo tours. Things were said, and since then, all silent. She wanted to hold on to me, I know that. Oh, she's so stubborn.'

'Yeah, well, that's families.'

'What about you?'

'I recently lost my mum. Dad died when I was just a baby. The Doctor's all I've got left.'

'Who was that who gave you the Elvis answer?'

'That was Keisha, one of my best mates.'

'You should call her.'

'Yeah.' If she was going to die, she should tell someone she wasn't coming back. And she'd promised to tell her about her mum. She took her phone out of the pocket of her skirt and speed dialled Keisha.

'Rose?'

'Yeah, it's me again. Sorry about earlier.'

'Is everything all right?'

'Yeah, fine. Can you let everyone know that Mum's alive and well.'

'Yeah, of course. Where is she then?'

'She's met someone new . . . well an old flame from way back actually. She's livin' abroad now, oh an' Mickey's there as well, workin' for her new chap.'

'Are you all right Rose? You sound kinda weird.'

'Yeah, it's this mad life I lead . . . Keish, I don't know if I'll ever be back again, so I just wanted to say that I miss you and Shar, and I love you both.'

'Where are you?'

'Just travellin', y'know back packin' and stuff like that.'

'What, with that foxy bloke of yours?'

Rose laughed. 'Yeah, we're still together,' she said, looking out of the porthole at the long, spindly space ship.

She had a flashback to an asteroid where they watched ray-like creatures flying through the air. "How long are you going to stay with me?" the Doctor had asked her a lifetime ago.

'I'm gonna stay with him forever,' she told Keisha. 'Look. I'd better go. Love you Keish.'

'Yeah, see ya Rose. Look after yerself.'

Rose ended the call, and then she and Riley hugged each other, crying.

['Impact in eleven fifteen. Heat shield failing. At ten percent,'] the computer announced in the airlock bay.

The Doctor clambered into a spacesuit, and was preparing to go outside to boost the magnetic lock that held the pod in place.

'I can't let you do this,' Scannell told him.

'You're wasting your breath, Scannell. You're not going to stop me.'

'You want to open an airlock in flight on a ship spinning into the sun. No one can survive that.'

Oh, just you watch.'

'You open that airlock, its suicide. This close to the sun, the shields will barely protect you.'

'If I can boost the magnetic lock on the ship's exterior, it should remagnetise the pod. Now, while I'm out there, you have got to get the rest of those doors open. We need those auxiliary engines.'

'Doctor, will you listen! They're too far away. It's too late.'

He looked Scannell in the eye, and even in the heat of the melting ship, Scannell felt a chill run down his spine. For the briefest of moments he'd seen the turn of the universe, and the whole of time and space in those ancient eyes.

'I'm not going to lose her.' The Doctor put on the helmet and went into the airlock.

['Decompression initiated. Impact in twelve fifty five.']

In the escape pod, there was a big jolt which threw Rose and Riley across the pod. The computer screen displayed the word "remagnetising".

'We're being pulled back!' Riley said in amazement.

Rose started laughing. 'I told you! It's the Doctor!'

The Doctor crawled back into the airlock as the escape pod returned to its dock. He looked out at the sun and felt something emanating from it, a presence; a consciousness that was calling out to him.

'It's alive . . . It's alive . . . It's alive!'

The escape pod docked with the ship and the clamps locked it in place once more.

['Airlock recompression completed.']

The Doctor was on his hands and knees as he took off his helmet and crawled out of the airlock, his eyes screwed shut.

Rose climbed out of the hatch and ran to him 'Doctor! Doctor! Are you okay?'

He opened his eyes briefly, and a white light shined from them. 'Stay away from me!' an alien voice said.

'What's happened?' McDonnell asked.

'It's your fault, Captain McDonnell!' the Doctor said, gasping for breath as he tried to retain control.

'Riley, get down to area ten and help Scannell with the doors. Go!' McDonnell ordered.

'You mined that sun. Stripped its surface for cheap fuel. You should have scanned for life!'

I don't understand.'

'Doctor, what are you talkin' about?' Rose asked.

'That sun is alive. A living organism. They scooped out its heart, used it for fuel, and now it's screaming!'

'What do you mean? How can a sun be alive? Why is he saying that?' McDonnell asked Rose.

'Because it's living in me.'

McDonnell put her hands to her mouth in horror. 'Oh, my God.'

'Humans! You grab whatever's nearest and bleed it dry! You should have scanned!'

'It takes too long. We'd be caught. Fusion scoops are illegal.'

Rose rushed to him and held his arm, trying to help him to his feet.

'You've got to freeze me, quickly.'

'What?' Rose said in surprise.

'Stasis chamber. You've got to take it below minus two hundred. Freeze it out of me! It'll use me to kill you if you don't. The closer we get to the sun, the stronger it gets! Med-centre, quickly! Quickly!' He was doubled over in pain.

'HELP ME!' Rose shouted at McDonnell.

['Impact in seven thirty.']

In the Med-centre, Rose grabbed the instruction manual for the stasis chamber. 'I can do it!'

'Rose, where are you?' he called, reaching out for her.

'It's all right, I'm here. Just help me get him up,' she said to McDonnell. 'Stasis chamber, minus two hundred, yeah?'

'No, you don't know how this equipment works. You'll kill him. Nobody can survive those temperatures.'

'He's not human. If he says he can survive, then he can.'

'Let me help you, then.'

Rose gave her a stern look. 'You've done enough damage.'

The Doctor lay in the stasis chamber. 'Ten seconds. That's all I'll be able to take. No more . . . Rose!'

'Yeah?'

'It's burning me up. I can't control it. If you don't get rid of it, I could kill you. I could kill you all. I'm scared! I'm so scared!' He didn't want to be responsible for killing the woman he loved.

It shocked her to hear him tell her he was scared. He was always so brave. 'Just stay calm. You saved me, now I return the favour. Just believe in me.'

'It's burning through me. Then what'll happen?' he asked her, hinting at something she'd seen before.

'That's enough! I've got you.'

'Rose, you know that thing that happens if I'm about to die . . .'

'Shush. Quiet now. Because that is SO not goin' to happen. Are you ready?'

'No.'

Rose used the joystick to roll the Doctor completely into the chamber. 'I love you,' she whispered as she typed 200 into the keypad and pressed the green button. The Doctor's screams went through her, cutting her to her core, as his body temperature fell.

['Heat shields failing. At five percent.']

Rose watched the numbers count down rapidly, flinching each time the Doctor screamed. At minus 70 degrees the chamber went dead.

'No! Rose, you can't stop it. Not yet,' he called from inside the chamber, where he was covered in a layer of frost.

'What happened?' Rose asked McDonnell.

'Power's been cut in Engineering.'

'But who's down there?'

'Leave it to me,' McDonnell said and left.

['Impact in four forty seven.']

'Come on. You're defrostin',' Rose said, noticing that the ice had melted off his body.

'Rose, listen! I've only got a moment. You've got to go!'

'No way.'

'Get to the front. Vent the engines. Sun particles in the fuel, get rid of them.'

'I am not leavin' you.'

'You've got to give back what they took.'

'Doctor!' she protested.

'Please go!' he pleaded.

'Okay, but I'll be back for you . . . 'cos . . .' she hesitated.

'I know.'

['Impact in four oh eight.']

* * *

'This is never your ship!' Orin Scannell said, as he walked up to the blue wooden box.

'Compact! Eh!' he said as he walked around from behind the TARDIS. 'And another good word, robust . . . ! Barely a scorch mark on her,' he said with pride.

'We can't just leave them driftin' with no fuel,' Rose said with concern. They'd had to dump the fuel that they had scooped from Torajii, so that the Doctor could live, and the ship would be allowed to leave.

'We've sent out an official mayday. The authorities will pick us up soon enough,' Riley told them.

'Though how we explain what happened . . .' Scannell started to say.

'Just tell them,' The Doctor interrupted. 'That sun needs care and protection, just like any other living thing.' Scannell nodded in agreement, five of their crewmates had died learning that lesson.

The Doctor stepped inside the TARDIS, and Rose started to follow, when Riley rushed forwards, and gently held her elbow. 'So . . . uh, you're off then,' he said, and Rose nodded. They had shared a tender moment when they had been trapped inside that escape pod.

'No chance I'll see you again?' he asked hopefully.

'Not really,' she replied, and saw the disappointment on his face. 'It was nice . . . not dyin' with you.' They both gave an unenthusiastic laugh. 'I reckon you'll find someone worth believin' in.'

He looked her in the eyes. 'I think I already did.'

Rose returned the look, and something passed between them. 'You know that me an' him . . .' she said, nodding at the TARDIS.

'Yeah, it was sort of obvious the way he risked everything to save you.'

'Oh, come here.' She grabbed him into a passionate, post adrenalin kiss. 'Well done,' she said, backing into the TARDIS. 'Very hot.'

She stepped inside, and walked up the ramp towards the Doctor. 'So! Didn't really need you in the end, did we?!' she said jokingly, but when she saw his face, he was deep in thought, his face an impassive mask.

It was a cheap wisecrack and now she felt awful for saying it. Without him, she would have burned up in the escape pod along with crewman Riley. She reached out and held his hand. 'Sorry . . . how're you doin'?'

He looked at her for a long while, before suddenly snapping out of his reflective mood, in that mercurial way of his. 'Now! What do you say? Ice skating on the mineral lakes of Cuhlhan, fancy it?'

'Whatever you like,' she said in a quiet, subdued voice. She thought he was going to open up to her, but he'd completely deflected the question of how he was feeling . . . again.

He gave a concerned glance in her direction, and saw that she was upset by his reluctance to discuss their near demise. 'Thank you,' he said solemnly, opening his arms for a hug.

She willingly fell into the embrace and held him tight as he rubbed her back comfortingly. 'Don't mention it,' she replied quietly. He pulled back slightly so that he could look into her eyes.

They stood there for a while, just gazing silently into each others eyes. Hesitantly, Rose moved her head forward slightly, tilting it to the side, an invitation to a kiss. The Doctor saw the movement, and accepted the invitation. Their lips met and both of them were grateful of the opportunity to say thank you in this intimate fashion.

They had often said "thank you", and "you're welcome" to each other in the past when they had saved each other's lives, but actions really did speak louder than words. Their lips parted, and they rested their foreheads together.

'Oh, no. Keish,' Rose said, as she remembered her previous call. She reached her phone out of her skirt pocket and selected Keisha's number.

'Rose, is that you again?'

'Yeah, me again!' she said in a light hearted tone.

'Three calls in one day,' Keisha said sarcastically. Rose used to call most days for a gossip, until she started travelling.

'I'm sorry about earlier. Over emotional. Mad day.'

'Had a bit of a lovers tiff have ya? Never mind, you've got the makin' up to look forward to.'

'Yeah, you're right,' Rose agreed with a laugh. It was as good an explanation as any for her emotional phone call.

'Look, I know you said you might not be back, and to be fair, who'd blame you. I wish I'd got some bloke who'd whisk me away from the estate, but if you did want to come back, what about a Friday night out with Shareen?'

'Yeah. Friday night. Do my best. Er, just remind me. What day is it again?'

'Election day.'

'Right. Of course. I'll be round for Friday night . . . Roughly. Anyway, I've got to go! See you later. Love you.'


	10. Human Nature

**Chapter 10**

 **Human Nature**

'Well, bye everyone. Maybe I'll see you again some time.' Rose said to the group of people they had met, befriended, and saved from an alien version of Jack from the film "A Nightmare Before Christmas". She doubted she would see them again, but it was always nice to live in hope. That was what life with the Doctor was like. Meet people, share extraordinary times, move on.

'Wait up, Doctor,' she shouted, jogging after his gangly silhouette. And although she wanted to, she didn't look back. Not once, which turned out to be a good thing as it happened.

She fell in step next to him, and he grabbed her hand urgently, quickening his step. 'Rose, do you trust me?'

She frowned. 'Well yeah, of course,' she replied.

'We have to get to the TARDIS right now. Don't look behind you because we are being followed.'

'Followed?' Rose said, about to do that very human thing of turning to look.

'Don't turn around,' the Doctor hissed. 'If they see your face, we're done for. When I said we're being followed, what I meant to say was, we're being hunted.'

They reached the TARDIS at a run, and the key entered the lock with unerring accuracy. He twisted the key, and with a reassuring click, the door swung open; just as a bolt of green energy exploded on the unopened door.

'Get down!' he shouted, and a bolt of green energy passed over their heads and hit the console. He slammed the door shut, and they climbed up off the floor.

'Did they see you?' he asked her urgently, holding her shoulders.

'I don't know!' she replied, almost crying.

'Did they see you?'

'I don't know, I was too busy runnin'!'

'Rose, it's important, did they see your face?'

She'd had her back to who ever it was who was chasing them. 'No, they couldn't have!'

He ran around the console and started up the time rotor. 'Off we go!'

Rose came and stood by him as he watched the time rotor pump up and down. A warning beep alerted him to a message on the monitor in Gallifreyan script.

'Arrrghhh!' He grabbed the monitor and read the warning. 'They're following us.'

'How can they do that?' Rose asked as he went back to the controls. 'You've got a time machine.'

'Stolen technology, they've got a Time Agent's vortex manipulator. They can follow us wherever we go . . . right across the universe.' He ran his fingers through his hair, looking into the distance. 'They're never going to stop.'

He held the back of his neck, deep in thought. 'Unless . . . I'll have to do it . . .'

He turned to Rose and gave her an intense look that went right into her soul. 'Rose, you trust me don't you?'

'Of course I do,' she said without hesitation.

'Because it all depends on you,' he said, as he rummaged under the console.

'What does, what am I supposed to do?'

He came from under the console, holding a fob watch. 'Take this watch, 'cos my life depends on it. The watch, Rose, this watch is me.'

She took the watch and nodded 'Right, okay, gotcha.' The Doctor ran around the console. 'No, hold on, haven't got a clue,' she said, running after him.

'Those creatures are hunters. They can sniff out anyone, and me being a Time Lord, well, I'm unique. They can track me down across the whole of time and space.'

'Hah! And the good news is?'

'They can smell me, they haven't seen me. And their life span'll be running out, so we hide. Wait for them to die.'

'But they can track us down.'

He stopped working the console, and looked at her. 'That's why I've got to do it. I have to stop being a Time Lord. I'm going to become human.' He looked up to the domed ceiling, and watched a headset descend. 'Never thought I'd use this. All the times I've wondered.'

'What does it do?'

'Chameleon Arch . . . rewrites my biology. Literally changes every single cell in my body. I've set it to human.'

He put the fob watch into a receptacle on the front of the headset. 'Now, the TARDIS will take care of everything. Invent a life story for me, find me a setting, and integrate me.' He turned to look at her standing behind him. 'Can't do the same for you, you'll just have to improvise. I should have just enough residual awareness to let you in.'

Rose remembered when every cell had changed in his body before. 'But, hold on. If you're goin' to rewrite every single cell, isn't it gonna hurt?'

'Oh, yeah, it hurts.'

The Doctor was standing at the console, studying the monitor. 'Ah, right, the TARDIS is heading for the early twentieth century. Oh, brilliant, I'm going to be a teacher in a boarding school.'

'What about me?' Rose asked him.

'Er, we need to think of something that'll keep you close enough to keep an eye on me . . . What about my personal housemaid?'

'Are you havin' a laugh? If I'm gonna be anythin' I'm gonna be your wife,' she said defiantly.

'What?'

'Queen Elizabeth the First said so,' she said with a cheeky smile.

He groaned in resignation. 'I suppose I have no choice, do I?' he said. 'Why don't you go along to the wardrobe, and find some period clothing.'

She made her way out of the console room, and the Doctor operated the recorder on the monitor. 'This working?' he asked himself, tapping the screen. 'Rose, before I change, here's a list of instructions for when I'm human. One, don't let me hurt anyone. We can't have that, but you know what humans are like. Two, don't worry about the TARDIS. I'll put it on emergency power so they can't detect it, just let it hide away. Four, no, wait a minute, three, no getting involved in big historical events. Four, you . . . Don't let me abandon you. And five . . .'

In the wardrobe, she chose a long tweed skirt with a white blouse, a long, cream coloured woollen coat, and tweed hat. Putting them over her arm, she made her way back to the console room, where she could hear the Doctor talking in the distance.

'And twenty three, if anything goes wrong, if they find us, Rose, then you know what to do. Open the watch, everything I am is kept safe in there. Now, I've put a perception filter on it so the human me won't think anything of it. To him, it's just a watch. But don't open it unless you have to. Because once it's open, then the Family will be able to find me. It's all down to you, Rose. Your choice . . . Oh . . . and thank you.' Rose entered the room, and dropped the clothes on the jump seat.

'Oh, there you are . . . you found something to wear then,' he said with a forced smile. 'I've recorded a help file for you, for when I'm . . . well . . . not me. These are the controls here.'

He proceeded to show her how to access the messages, and then she had a go herself. 'Right then, time to do it,' he said reluctantly. He gave Rose a long hug, and a kiss, before putting on the headset. He smiled weakly at her before the process started, and he started screaming in agony.

* * *

John Smith was lying in bed in an old-fashioned wood panelled room, with his wife Rose by his side. An old grandfather clock was ticking away, marking the passage of time. He could hear voices in the corridor outside. He looked lovingly at his sleeping wife and smiled. How lucky was he to have a wife as beautiful and amazing as her?

She stirred and her eyes flickered open, her expression puzzled at first, as though she didn't know where she was, and then a contented smile spread across her face. 'Good mornin' my love.'

'Good morn-ING my darling,' he replied, emphasizing the "G" that she was so fond of dropping off the end of her words.

She reached up and stroked his face as she kissed his cheek. 'Sorry. It's an old habit.'

'I was only teasing,' he said as he swung his legs out of the bed. 'It's part of your personality, and I find it delightful.' He stood up, and started to put on his tartan dressing gown over his blue, striped pyjamas.

There was a knock at the door. 'Come in,' he called.

Their housemaid Jenny entered, carrying a breakfast tray and turned her back when she saw he wasn't fully dressed.

'Pardon me, Mister Smith. You're not dressed yet. I can come back later.'

Rose giggled as he tied the cord on the dressing gown. 'No, it's all right, it's all right. Put it down.'

Jenny put the tray down on a table by the leather settee and drew the curtains, letting the morning light into the room.

Rose could see her husband was a bit distracted. 'Are you alright Love? You seem a bit muddled this mornin'. Did you have another one of those dreams?'

'Er, yes. It was another one of those extraordinary dreams.'

'What about, sir?' Jenny asked, and then realised she was being a bit familiar with the school master. 'Er, if you don't mind me asking sir.'

'No, not at all. I dream I'm this adventurer. This daredevil, a madman. The Doctor, I'm called. And last night I dreamt that you Rose were there, as my companion.'

'Me?' Rose said, trying to sound surprised.

'A teacher and his wife, sir? That sounds like a good start.'

'I'm a man from another world, though.'

Rose realised that his memories were bleeding through. 'Well it can't be true Darlin', because there's no such thing,' she said, trying to make him give up his train of thought.

He walked over to the mantelpiece and picked up an ornate pocket watch. 'This thing. The watch is . . .' He stopped and looked into the distance, before putting the watch back down. Rose breathed a sigh of relief.

'Ah, it's funny how dreams slip away. But I do remember one thing; it all took place in the future. In the Year of Our Lord two thousand and seven.'

'I can prove that wrong for you, sir,' Jenny said, picking up the paper from the tray. 'Here's the morning paper. It's Monday, November 10th, 1913, and you're completely human, sir. As human as they come.'

'I'll vouch for that,' Rose said with a saucy smile.

'Mmm, that's me. Completely human.'

Jenny smiled at Mr and Mrs Smith. They were such a lovely couple. 'I'll leave you to your breakfasts then.'

'Yes, thank you Jenny.' He picked up the tray and took it over to the bed, where he put it on Rose's lap. He plumped up the pillows behind her, before sitting on the bed himself.

'How is the fever this morning?' he asked her, as he poured the tea into the porcelain cup.

'Oh, it's fine thank you. I'm gettin' stronger every day.'

Rose had realised when they arrived at Farringham Boarding School, that she may have made a fundamental error in insisting on being his wife. They would be expected to share a bed, which she was fine with. She enjoyed having a hug and a cuddle with the Doctor in front of the TV in the living room in the TARDIS.

There was something else that married couples did which she wouldn't mind doing with the Doctor one day. At the moment though, he was John Smith, and doing that sort of thing would be taking advantage of the man she loved. She felt as though it would be like she was being unfaithful to him.

Fortunately, the TARDIS cover story meant that they had arrived from India, where John had been teaching at the University of Calcutta. Rose was able to convince John that they had left Calcutta when she had contracted malaria, and she was convalescing in England. This meant that she wouldn't be expected to consummate their pretend marriage.

He bit into his toast and smiled at her. 'That's good news. I knew this fresh, country air would do you good.'

She finished spreading marmalade on her toast and took a bite. 'You have been so kind and patient with me. I don't deserve a husband like you.'

'Nonsense! It's me who should be grateful for having a beautiful wife who would put up with an ungainly oaf like me.'

Rose laughed and looked at the clock. 'And with no sense of time,' she added. 'One of us has a history class to teach, and it isn't me.'

'Ohhhh, I've done it again,' he said, finishing his toast and slurping his tea. 'You are such a wonderful distraction.' He rushed to wash and brush his teeth in the hand basin, before getting dressed, snogging his wife, and hurrying out of the door carrying an armful of books.

Later that morning, after teaching his first class, John was walking along an upper corridor, carrying his armful of books, when he met a neat woman in a starched nurses uniform.

'Oh, good morning, Mr. Smith,' she said pleasantly.

He dropped some of the books. 'There we go.'

'Let me help you,' Matron offered.

'No, no, I've got it, no. Er, how best to retrieve? Tell you what. If you could take these.' He held out the remaining books for her to hold so that he could pick up the fallen ones.

'Good.'

'No harm done,' he agreed.

'How is Mrs. Smith this morning?'

'Oh, much improved thank you. It won't be long before she's back to her usual, vibrant self.'

'How long has it been now, a couple of months? It must have been a severe attack, your wife is lucky to have survived.'

'She may be petite, but she is from strong stock. Her mother was a strong and fierce woman. Why I remember her displeasure once whilst I was courting Rose; she gave me such a slap on my cheek that I swear when the light is right you can still see the mark.'

The Matron laughed, a pleasant, bubbly laugh. 'You must have redeemed yourself though to have been allowed to marry her daughter.'

'Yes, it took a good many years to convince her that I loved Rose more than anything else in the universe.'

'I appear to be holding your books,' Matron noticed.

'Yes, so you are. Sorry, sorry. Just let me . . .' He tried awkwardly to take the books from her.

'No, why don't I take half?'

'Ah, brilliant idea. Brilliant. Perfect. Division of labour.'

'We make quite a team.'

'Don't we just.'

'So, these books. Were they being taken in any particular direction?'

'Yes. This way.' He led the way down a smaller corridor. 'I always say, Matron, give the boys a good head of steam, they'll soon wear themselves out.'

'Truth be told, when it's just you and me, I'd much rather you call me Nurse Redfern. Matron sounds rather well, matronly.'

'Ah. Nurse Redfern it is then.'

'Though we've known each other all of two months, you could even say Joan.'

'Joan?'

'That's my name.'

'Well, obviously.'

'And it's John, isn't it?'

'Yes, yes, it is, yes. And Rose, my wife's name is Rose. But of course you know that, I've mentioned her many times, haven't I?' he rambled on.

They reached a notice board at the top of a flight of stairs.

'Have you seen this, John? The annual dance at the village hall tomorrow. Do you think Rose will be well enough to go? It's nothing formal, but rather fun by all accounts.'

'I hadn't thought about it, but I'm sure it would do her the power of good. We've always enjoyed dancing . . . I think.'

'It's been ages since I've been to a dance, only no one's asked me.'

'Really? I find that hard to believe. An attractive woman like you,' he said and then became embarrassed when he realised what he'd said. 'Well, I should imagine that you'd be, er, I mean, I never thought you'd be one for. I mean, there's no reason why you shouldn't. If you do, you may not . . .' He started backing away from the conversation.

'The stairs,' she warned him.

'What about the stairs?'

'They're right behind you.'

He disappeared in a flurry of books and papers.

Back in his study, Joan was tending to the back of John's head, and he kept flinching.

'Stop it. I get boys causing less fuss than this.'

'Because it hurts,' he complained as the door flew open and Rose hurried in.

'Is he all right?' she asked Matron. 'Are you all right?' she asked John. 'I was, er . . . takin' the air in the grounds, when some boys told me you'd fallen down the stairs.'

'No, it was just a tumble, that's all,' he told his concerned wife.

'It's just a minor contusion to the back of the head, Mrs. Smith.'

'I was just telling Nurse Redfern, Joan, about those dreams. They are quite remarkable tales. I keep imagining that I'm someone else, and that I'm hiding.'

'Hiding? In what way?' Joan asked.

'They're almost every night. This is going to sound silly.'

'Tell me.'

'I dream, quite often, that I have two hearts.'

'Well, then. I can be the judge of that. Let's find out.' She put her stethoscope on his chest and listened.

'I can confirm the diagnosis. Just one heart, singular.'

'I have er, I have written down some of these dreams in the form of fiction. I know Rose found the stories entertaining, but she is rather biased. I don't suppose they would be of any interest to anyone else.'

'I'd be very interested.'

'Well, I've never actually shown it to anyone else,' he said as he handed Joan the handwritten book.

'A Journal of Impossible Things,' she read.

'The title was Rose's idea.'

Joan started leafing through the pages of inky scrawl and pictures. 'Just look at these creatures,' she said in admiration as she looked at the drawing of a Dalek. 'Such imagination.'

'It's become quite a hobby, hasn't it dear,' he said to Rose.

She saw the Moxx of Balhoon, Autons labelled as plastic men, one of the Pompadour clockwork robots. 'It's wonderful. And this sketch of your wife is so full of emotion.'

'Ah yes, Rose is such an inspiration to me.'

Joan continued to thumb through the pages, seeing Cybermen and the TARDIS, labelled "magic box".

'Ah, that's the box. The blue box. It's always there. Like a, like a magic carpet. This funny little box that transports me to far away places.'

Rose was starting to get concerned. What if the aliens hunting them heard these stories or saw his journal.

'Like a doorway?' Joan said.

'Mmm,' he agreed, as Joan looked at sketches of his previous incarnations. 'I sometimes think how magical life would be if stories like this were true.'

'If only.'

'It's just a dream.'

She closed the book at a drawing of the pocket watch.

As Joan left, Rose hurried after her. 'Nurse Redfern, Joan? That book.'

'Oh, Mrs. Smith, Rose. I'll look after it. Don't worry. He did say I could read it.'

'But it's silly, that's all. Just stories.'

'Who is he, Rose? That husband of yours.'

'I'm sorry?'

'It's like he's left the kettle on. Like he knows he has something to get back to, but he can't remember what.'

'That's just him. His head's all over the place, always thinkin' of several things at once.'

* * *

John and Rose Smith were walking along the lane from the village, back towards the school. He thought that an evening constitutional in the cool air would be good for her condition. They were both wearing their long coats, scarves, and hats, and walking arm in arm.

'Nurse Redfern says that young Jenkins is much better. '

'Oh that's good news. I know you were gettin' concerned that he might be comin' down with the flu or somethin'.'

'Yes, but she thinks it's a combination of a cold and homesickness. Apparently he's a lot more chipper since he received a letter from home . . .'

'Did you see that?' Rose interrupted, seeing a greenish light in the starlit sky.

'See what?'

Rose thought it was probably best not to stimulate the Doctor's memories that were hiding inside John. 'Er, nothin'. Just a shootin' star.'

'You should make a wish.'

She hugged his arm and smiled as she gazed into his eyes. 'I've already got everythin' I could wish for.'

He leaned down and kissed her lovingly on the lips.

'Evening sir, ma'am,' Jenny said from a table in front of the local pub.

'Evening Jenny,' said John.

'Hiya,' Rose said, giving her a wave. 'Enjoyin' a pint?'

'Yes ma'am. Just the one before bedtime.'

Joan came hurrying down the lane, obviously distressed. 'Did you see that? There was something in the woods. This light. There, there. Look in the sky.'

They saw a light cross the sky. 'Oh, that's beautiful,' said Jenny.

'All gone.' John said. 'Commonly known as a meteorite. It's just rocks falling to the ground, that's all.'

'It came down in the woods,' she told them. She'd seen a beam of green light searching the ground in Cooper's Field.

'No, no, no. No, they always look close, when actually they're miles off. Nothing left but a cinder. Now, I should escort you back to the school. Ladies?'

'No, I'm fine, thanks,' Jenny said.

'Then we shall bid you goodnight.' He held his elbows out for Rose and Joan, and they set off down the lane towards the school.

The next morning, while John was teaching, Rose went for her usual pretend constitutional to improve her malaria. Today though, she was heading down the lane to an old stone barn. Inside the barn, she felt the familiar warm hum of the TARDIS.

'Hello Old Girl,' she said as she let herself in. She went up to the monitor on the console and started the help file. She listened and searched, but couldn't find anything about meteors or shooting stars.

"And twenty three. If anything goes wrong, if they find us, Rose, then you know what to do. Open the watch. Everything I am is kept safe in there. Now, I've put a perception filter on it so the human me won't think anything of it. To him, it's just a watch. But don't open it unless you have to. Because once it's open, then the Family will be able to find me. It's all down to you, Rose. Your choice. Oh, and thank you," he said on the screen.

'I wish you'd come back,' she said quietly to the man on the screen. Although she was enjoying all the kisses and cuddling and being married, it wasn't HIM. John Smith was the same gentle, brave, caring man that the Doctor was, but there was something missing, that spark that gave him the edge over every other man in the universe.

Rose was sitting in John's study, having returned from the TARDIS with no answer as to what she should do about the lights in the sky. She was looking out of the window, waiting for John to return from his class, when there was a knock at the door.

'Come in.'

Jenny entered carrying a tray with tea and cake on it.

'Oh hello Jenny. Is it that time already?' Jenny just stood there and sniffed deeply. 'Are you all right?'

Jenny continued to stand still, and looked down at Rose. 'I must have a cold coming on.'

Rose had seen enough weird things on her travels to know when something wasn't right. And right now, she was looking at someone whose behaviour was just plain weird.

'Are you gonna put the tray down?' Rose asked her.

Jenny gave a smile that looked as though it was a new experience for her. 'Of course ma'am.' She put the tray on the table by the leather settee. 'Will there be anything else ma'am?'

Rose thought about that, and decided to test how weird things were. 'Not for now thank you, but maybe later you could put a nice bit of gravy in the pot. And some mutton. Or sardines and jam?'

'That sounds nice ma'am. I'll see to it.'

'Er, thank you Jenny.'

Rose waited nervously for John to return from his class, and stood up as she heard the door open. 'They've found us.'

'Sorry?'

She made her way over to the fireplace as she spoke. 'They've found us, and I've seen them. They look like people, like us, like normal. I'm sorry, but you've got to open the watch. Where is it?'

She searched the mantelpiece. 'Oh, my God. Where's it gone? Where's the watch?'

'What are you talking about darling?'

'You had a watch. A fob watch. Right there.'

'Did I? I don't remember.'

'You must do. It was in your journal, you drew it.'

He rubbed his chin. 'Oh yes. Do I have a watch like that then?'

'Oh, my God, Doctor, we're hidin' from aliens, and they've got Jenny and they've possessed her or copied her or somethin', and you've got to tell me, where's the watch?'

'Oh, I see. Rose, your fever has returned. Matron said you could have a relapse at any time.' He gently held her shoulders and talked calmly. 'You are suffering from delirium. Your mind is mixing up my stories with reality.'

'Oh you complete . . . I have not got malaria. I never have had malaria. This is not you. This is nineteen thirteen.'

'Good. This is nineteen thirteen,' he agreed. That was a good sign.

'I'm sorry. I'm really sorry, but I've got to snap you out of this.' She grabbed his face and she kissed him hard. She poured all her love and feeling into that kiss. It was the most erotic kiss she had ever shared with anyone, even Jay Selby, Jimmy Stone, or Mickey Smith.

'Oh, I say! I don't think it would be appropriate for me to take advantage whilst you are delirious like this.'

'Wake up! You're comin' back to the TARDIS with me.' She grabbed his hand and tugged him towards the door.

He pulled her up short. 'Rose, I think you should be in bed resting. I'll call Nurse Redfern and see if she has a remedy.'

She looked at him flabbergasted. 'Oooooh,' she exclaimed and hurried out of the room.

Rose ran out of the building and bumped into one of the pupils, Timothy Latimer. 'Oh, sorry!'

Latimer had a vision of her wearing a purple hoodie, blue denim jeans and white trainers, running across Westminster Bridge with a man in a leather jacket and sticky out ears, similar to his own. That Rose turned to look at him and said "Sorry", before continuing to run towards a big Ferris wheel.

'Mrs. Smith?' he called out in confusion.

Rose in the present looked back. 'Not now, Tim. Busy!'

Rose let herself into the TARDIS and hurriedly started searching the Doctor's pockets for the watch. That was not an easy task, his pockets were huge! And what he kept in them was mind boggling.

She found his sonic screwdriver, which she put in her coat pocket. There was a purple, plastic wallet, given to him by that strange young woman called Sally Sparrow, a penlight, a pipe, and a notebook with codes for the TARDIS, Everlasting matches, a handkerchief, and . . . what was that? A pocket watch!

'Yes!' she said in triumph and pulled it out of the pocket. Her initial excitement turned to disappointment, as she realised it was just a gold pocket watch.

She continued to sort through an ornamental dagger from the Crusades, a key to a Dalek spacecraft, a magnifying glass, a pocket knife, and a magnet. Other pockets revealed a variety of items such as a clockwork mouse, his digital opera glasses, and a bag of jelly babies that were as fresh as the day he'd bought them. She distractedly wondered if he could keep an ice cube frozen in these pockets, as they seemed to be outside of time as well as space.

Defeated, she leaned against the console and gazed at the green glow of the Time Rotor. 'Where is it old girl, eh? Where has he put that watch?'

She stroked the glowing column and had a sudden vision of Timothy Latimer standing on Westminster Bridge, looking up in wonder at the London Eye.

'Timothy?'

He turned to look at her, a guilty look on his face. 'Sorry ma'am. I didn't mean to . . . it just called to me.'

She took her hand off the column, and the vision had gone. 'Blimey, where did that come from.'

Had she have been a Time Lord, she would have known that it was the TARDIS talking to the Bad Wolf inside her, telling her who had the watch.

She returned to their room in the school, and was immediately enveloped in a loving embrace. 'Oh Rose, you're back. I was so worried. I've had the boys searching the grounds for you.' He held her by her shoulders and smiled. 'You're quite popular amongst the young men you know.'

"I bet I am!" she thought and laughed. 'I'm sorry my love. I don't know what came over me. It must have been a relapse like you said. The cold night air seems to have cleared my head though.'

He hugged her again. 'That's marvellous. Now, let's get you to bed to rest.'

'Bed? I seem to remember you invitin' me to the village dance. And Nurse Redfern is expectin' a dance with you as no one has invited her.' She also wanted to get him away from the school and the Family of Blood.

'Dancing? Do you think that is wise after what happened earlier?'

'Oh I'm fine . . . really. A bit of entertainment will lift my spirits. And I'll be sittin' down quite a bit while you dance with Joan.'

'Well, if you're sure?'

'It'll be just what the Doctor ordered.'

John had Rose and Joan on each arm as they approached the village hall. They didn't notice Latimer watching them from around the corner.

'Spare a penny for the veterans of the Crimea, sir?' an old soldier said who was standing by the door.

'Yes, of course,' John said, rummaging in his pockets. 'There you are.' They went inside, and the old soldier checked the coins in his bowl, not noticing Latimer sneak inside after them.

'Ladies and gentlemen. Please take your partners for a waltz,' Mr. Chambers, the Master of Ceremonies announced as the village band started playing.

Rose held out her hand. 'Do you have the moves Mr. Smith? Would you care to show them to me?'

John grinned and took her hand. 'Do you know Mrs. Smith, I think I rather would. Do you mind Joan?'

'Not at all. You should have the first dance with your wife,' Joan said with a smile.

They started waltzing around the hall, and Rose flinched as they bumped into another couple. She was on the look out for anyone who seemed to be acting strangely or appeared out of place.

'Sorry,' John said to the couple as they waltzed past.

'Mr. Smith? Mrs. Smith? No one home,' Son of Mine Baines said as he entered the Smith's room.

'Mrs. Smith was definitely hiding something. A secret around this Mr. Smith and the dreams he has,' Mother of Mine Jenny told him.

'We both scented him, though. He was plain and simple human.'

'Maybe he knows something. Where is he?'

Son of Mine Baines and Mother of Mine Jenny started searching the Smith's little library when Father of Mine Clark walked in with a flyer for the dance.

'I think this might help,' Father of Mine Clark announced.

'That makes it easy, Son of Mine. Because Daughter of Mine's already there,' said Mother of Mine Jenny.

'We've been invited to the dance,' Son of Mine Baines said with an evil smile.


	11. The Family of Blood

Author's note: Have you ever wondered how the Doctor did ventriloquism of the nose? I did, and this is my take on it. I wanted it to be sensual without it actually being erotic or sexual. Let me know what you think.

 **Chapter 11**

 **The Family of Blood**

In the village hall, John Smith was dancing with Joan Redfern, while his wife Rose rested so as not to tire herself too much after her malaria relapse earlier in the day. Well, that's what they thought.

She was in fact, trying to think of a way to get the Doctor to break the Chameleon Arch and get him back. Without realising, she was playing the sonic screwdriver through her fingers in her pocket.

"That's it!" she thought as she remembered the Carrionites. There was power in naming.

John and Joan returned to the table, laughing. 'Oh it's been such a long time since I have danced,' Joan said wistfully.

'You still remember the moves though,' said John.

Rose held up the sonic screwdriver. 'Do you know what this is John? Name it for me. Go on, please name it.'

'John, what is that silly thing?' Joan asked, thinking that she'd seen a sketch of it in his journal. 'John?'

John frowned as he took the screwdriver. He felt as though he should know what it was, but couldn't quite put a name to it.

'You're not John Smith. You're called the Doctor. The man in your journal, he's real . . . He's you.'

Outside the hall, the Family of Blood were striding to the entrance. The old soldier rattled the coins in the pewter bowl. 'Evening, all. Spare a penny, sir?'

Son of Mine Baines held up a bulky looking pistol. 'I didn't spare you.' He pulled the trigger, and the old soldier disappeared in a flash of green mist.

Latimer was lurking by a window, and heard the strange sound of an energy weapon being discharged. He moved the curtain and looked outside, where a scarecrow popped up in front of him. He stood in shock, just looking at the incongruous sight. He came back to his senses and closes the curtain again.

'THERE-WILL-BE-SILENCE! ALL-OF-YOU!' Father of Mine Clark shouted as he knocked over a hat stand to get everyone's attention. A troop of shuffling scarecrows followed them into the hall, causing gasps and screams.

'I-SAID-SILENCE' Father of Mine Clark shouted again.

'Mister Clarke, what's going on?' Chambers demanded as he strode towards them from the band stand. He never found out what was going on. He disintegrated into dust in a flash of green light.

'John? Everythin' I told you, just forget it! Don't say anythin',' Rose said quietly.

'We asked for silence!' Son of Mine Baines said. 'Now then, we have a few questions for Mr. Smith.'

A young girl who had been sitting at a table with a drink of fruit juice and a red balloon, stood up. 'No . . . better than that . . . The teacher . . . He's the Doctor. I heard them talking.'

'You took human form,' Son of Mine Baines said.

'Of course I'm human. I was born human, as were you, Baines. And Jenny, and you, Mister Clark. What is going on? This is madness.'

'Ooo, and a human brain, too. Simple, thick and dull,' said Son of Mine Baines jokingly.

'But he's no good like this,' complained Mother of Mine Jenny.

'We need a Time Lord,' Father of Mine Clark declared.

'Easily done,' Son of Mine Baines told them. He stepped forward and raised the gun, pointing it at John's head. 'Change back.'

John couldn't comprehend what they wanted. 'I don't know what you're talking about.'

'Change back!' Son of Mine Baines demanded impatiently.

'I literally do not know . . .'

Mother of Mine Jenny grabbed Rose around the neck, and put a gun to her head.

'Gerroff me!' Rose protested.

'She's your wife, isn't she?' Mother of Mine Jenny teased. 'Doesn't this scare you enough to change back?'

John was starting to panic now. 'I don't know what you mean!'

The young girl with the balloon, Daughter of Mine Lucy, stepped forward. 'That woman there, the Matron. She's their friend, she was dancing with Smith.'

'Then let's have you as well,' Father of Mine Clark said, pulling Joan towards him by her arm and putting his gun against her head.

Son of Mine Baines smirked as he spoke. 'Have you enjoyed it, Doctor, being human? Has it taught you wonderful things? Are you better, richer, wiser? Then let's see you answer this. Which one of them do you want us to kill? Wife or matron? Your wife or your friend? Your choice.'

Mother of Mine Jenny held Rose tighter around the neck, and pushed the gun harder into her temple. 'Make your decision, Mr. Smith.'

'Perhaps if that human heart breaks, the Time Lord will emerge,' Son of Mine Baines theorised.

At the back of the hall, out of sight, Latimer took the watch from his pocket, and opened it. A golden energy shimmered out of the watch, and a voice whispered ['Time Lord']. The Family turned their heads quickly, sensing the Artron energy.

'It's him!' said Son of Mine Baines.

Latimer closed the watch, and Rose used the distraction to get the gun off Mother of Mine Jenny, using her as a shield while she aimed it at Baines.

'All right! One more move and I shoot,' Rose told them in no uncertain terms.

Son of Mine Baines looked amused. 'Oh, the wife is full of fire.'

'Shut it, Toff!' she said angrily, firing the gun at the ceiling to make a point.

'Careful, Son of Mine. This is all for you so that you can live forever,' Father of Mine Clark warned him.

Son of Mine Baines raised his gun. 'Shoot you down.'

'Try it. We'll die together,' Rose said with ice in her voice.

'Would you really pull the trigger? Looks too scared,' he said.

'Scared and holdin' a gun's a good combination,' she told him. She raised an eyebrow. 'D'ya wanna to risk it?'

It was a Mexican standoff, and you could hear a pin drop. The family lowered their guns, and Joan returned to stand by John.

Rose continued to hold Mother of Mine Jenny around the neck with the gun to her head. 'Doctor, get everyone out. There's a door at the side. It's over there. Go on.' She quickly glanced over and saw him just standing there.

She rolled her eyes. 'Do it, John. I mean you.'

Joan was galvanised into action. 'Do what she said. Everybody out, now. Don't argue, Mister Jackson. They're mad. That's all we need to know. Susan, Miss Cooper, outside, all of you.'

The villagers started running out of the hall, screaming. John helped to usher people out of the door. He grabbed Latimer by the shoulder and pointed him towards the door. 'Move yourself, boy. Back to the school, quickly.'

'And you,' Rose said to him. 'Go on. Just shift.'

He was reluctant to leave his wife in this situation, but he had no weapon, and she did seem to be in control of the situation. 'What about you?'

'John, I think you should escort our friend Joan to safety, don't you?'

He hadn't seen this side of his wife before, and it was very appealing. He was incredibly proud of her.

He ran outside and found people milling about in confusion. 'Mister Hicks, warn the village. Get everyone out. Latimer, get back to the school. Tell the headmaster.'

'Don't touch me,' Latimer said angrily. 'You're as bad as them.' He turned and ran off into the night.

Inside the hall, Mother of Mine Jenny managed to struggle free from Rose and rejoin her Family. They started advancing on her, forcing her to move backwards.

'Don't try anythin'. I'm warnin' ya, or Sonny boy gets it.'

'She's almost brave, this one,' Son of Mine Baines teased.

'I should have taken her form . . . Much more fun . . . So much spirit,' said Mother of Mine Jenny.

'What happened to Jenny? Is she gone?'

'She is consumed. Her body's mine.'

'Y'mean she's dead.'

'Yes. And she went with precious little dignity. All that "Aaagh!" screaming.'

As Rose backed towards the door, a scarecrow grabbed her from behind.

'Get the gun!' Son of Mine Baines called out, and the scarecrow took the gun out of her hand. 'Good work, soldier.'

Rose ducked under the scarecrow's arms and ran out of the hall. 'Don't just stand there, move it!' she shouted to John and Joan, who were still standing by the gate. 'God, you're rubbish as a human. Come on!'

They started running back towards the school. 'I'm sorry darling. I felt bad enough leaving you in the hall. I couldn't bring myself to leave without you,' John said.

Rose flashed him a smile and grabbed his hand. 'Thanks.'

'Run! Ah, this is super,' Son of Mine Baines declared with glee as he fired at the fleeing trio.

There were explosions of green light either side of them as they ran through a gate. Somehow this all seemed very familiar to John, but he couldn't for the life of him remember why.

'We've been in hiding for too long. This is sport,' said Son of Mine Baines.

Mother of Mine Jenny sniffed the air. 'I can smell the schoolteacher. He's gone back to his academy.'

'And what do we know about his wife?' Son of Mine Baines asked his mother.

Jenny's body glowed green as the alien inside examined it. 'This body has traces of memory. Was once her housemaid. Rose would go walking to the west to enjoy the fresh air. Husband of Mine, follow the wife's scent. Go to the west. Find out what she was keeping secret.'

Father of Mine Clark nodded. 'Soldiers!' He turned to the West and walked away with the scarecrows in tow.

Son of Mine Baines turned to his mother. 'As for you, Mother of Mine, let's go to school.'

* * *

Father of Mine Clark was standing in front of the lawns of the school with the TARDIS that he'd found in the stone barn. 'Doctor! Doctor! Come back, Doctor. Come home. Come and claim your prize.'

'Out you come, Doctor. There's a good boy. Come to the Family,' Son of Mine Baines taunted.

'Time to end it now,' said Mother of Mine Jenny.

John, Rose and Joan were crouching down in the bushes, watching the Family taunt them. The Family had so far failed to find the Chameleon Watch, so they were trying to entice the Doctor out of hiding.

'You recognise it, don't you?' Rose asked him.

Mother of Mine Jenny called into the night. 'Come out, Doctor. Come to us!'

'I've never seen it in my life,' John said.

Rose doubted that. He'd drawn it in his journal. 'Do you remember its name?'

Joan recognised it. 'I'm sorry, John, but you wrote about it. The blue box. You dreamt of a blue box.'

'I'm not. I'm John Smith. That's all I want to be. John Smith, with his life, and his job, and his wife. Why can't I be John Smith? Isn't he a good man?'

'Yes. Yes, he is,' Joan told him.

'Why can't I stay?'

'Because sometimes, a good man isn't enough. We need the Doctor,' said Rose.

'What am I, then?' he asked angrily. 'Nothing. I'm just a story.' He ran away, and the two women took off after him.

'One more phase and we won't have to hunt. The Doctor, Mr. Smith, the boy, the watch, they will come to us. Soldiers, guard this thing,' Son of Mine Baines said as they strode away.

John, Rose, and Joan were running down a narrow lane, when Joan had an idea. 'This way. I think I know somewhere we can hide.'

'We've got to keep going,' John said.

Joan gave Rose a pleading look for them to trust her.

Rose nodded. 'Just listen to her, John. She knows this village.'

'Follow me,' Joan said, and ran down another narrow lane.

'Oh, here we are. It should be empty. Oh, it's a long time since I've run that far,' Joan gasped.

'You get used to it when you travel with the Doctor,' said Rose. 'But who lives here?'

'If I'm right, no one,' she said sadly.

'Hello?' Joan called out through the open door. There was no response. 'No one home. We should be safe here.'

'Whose house is it, though?' Rose asked, dreading the answer. The table was set for tea, which meant that until a few hours ago, this cottage had been occupied.

Joan confirmed her worst fears. 'Er, the Cartwrights. That little girl at the school, she's Lucy Cartwright, or she's taken Lucy Cartwright's form. If she came home this afternoon and if the parents tried to stop their little girl, then they were vanished.'

Joan hesitantly touched the teapot. 'Stone cold. How easily I accept these ideas.'

'I must go to them, before anyone else dies,' said John nobly.

'You can't!' exclaimed Joan, 'Rose, there must be something we can do.'

'Not without the watch.'

'You're this Doctor's companion,' John said. 'Can't you help? Are you his wife as well as mine?'

'No, we're not married. We're . . . well . . . it's complicated.'

'What exactly do you do for him then? Why does he need you?'

'Because he's all alone in the universe.'

'And that's what you want me to become?'

'But he's not lonely, 'cos he's got me now. And he's shown me so many wonderful things, and I've helped him to love life again . . .'

Rose was interrupted by a knock at the door.

'What if it's them?' Joan asked nervously.

Rose raised her eyebrows. 'I ain't no expert, but I don't think scarecrows knock.' She went over to the door and opened it.

Timothy Latimer stood in the doorway and held out his hand. 'I brought you this.' It was the Chameleon Watch.

Rose took it off him and offered it to John. 'Hold it.'

'I won't,' he said defiantly.

'Please, just hold it.'

'It told me to find you' Latimer told him. 'It wants to be held.'

'You've had this watch all this time? Why didn't you return it?' Joan asked.

'Because it was waiting. And because I was so scared of the Doctor.'

'Why?'

'Because I've seen him. He's like fire and ice and rage. He's like the night and the storm in the heart of the sun.'

'Stop it,' John snapped.

But Latimer was compelled to continue 'He's ancient and forever. He burns at the centre of time and he can see the turn of the universe.'

'Stop it! I said stop it.'

'And . . . he's wonderful,' Latimer finished, as though it was obvious. Rose smiled. She couldn't disagree with any of what Latimer had said.

Joan reached into her coat pocket and took out a small book. 'I've still got this. The journal.'

'Those are just stories,' John told her dismissively.

'Now we know that's not true. Perhaps there's something in here . . .'

Rose was about to tell her that there wasn't, when there was a sudden explosion outside that rattled the windows.

Rose rushed to the window. 'What the hell?'

Fireballs were falling from the sky and exploding around the village.

'They're destroying the village,' Joan observed.

John snatched up the watch. 'The watch.'

['Closer,'] the watch whispered.

'Can you hear it?' Latimer asked him.

['Closer.']

John held the watch as though it might explode at any moment. 'I think he's asleep. Waiting to awaken,' he breathed.

['Little man.']

'Why did he speak to me?' asked Latimer.

John sniffed and raised his eyebrows. 'Oh, low level telepathic field. You were born with it. Just an extra synaptic engram causing . . .' He stopped suddenly, an expression of amazement on his face. 'Is that how he talks?'

Rose smiled. 'That's him. All you have to do is open it and he's back.'

'And I will be gone, and you will no longer be my wife.'

'No.'

'And now you expect me to die?'

'It was always gonna end, though! The Doctor said the Family's got a limited lifespan, and that's why they need to consume a Time Lord. Otherwise, three months and they die. Like mayflies, he said.'

'So your job was to execute me.'

'People are dyin' out there. Men, women and children are bein' bombed.'

John had a sudden vision of an alien world. The burnt amber sky was on fire, and a man was trying to lead his wife and child to safety when they were confronted by a robot that looked like a pepper pot. "Exterminate" it screeched, and as the vision ended, all he saw was a child's cuddly toy, burning in the street.

'They need him,' Rose continued, 'and I need him . . . oh he has no idea how much I really need him. Because you've got no idea of what he's like. He's so much like you John, and he's so much more.'

For weeks, Rose had been trying to work out how they were different, and now, in this moment of crisis she suddenly realised.

'It's like you're incomplete. You're his lighter side, the good, kind, happy, carin' side. But to be him you need a darker side, because sometimes he's forced to do bad things, and although he's never cruel, sometimes he has to be ruthless. And that makes him sad. He hates and loathes himself when he has to be like that . . . and that's when he needs me. Because I'm his best friend, and he's mine, and he's my whole world and . . . I love him.'

An explosion rocked the cottage. 'It's getting closer,' Latimer said.

'I should have thought of it before,' John said. 'I can give them this. Just the watch. Then they can leave and we can stay as we are.'

Rose shook her head. 'You can't do that!'

'If they want the Doctor, they can have him.'

'He'll never let you do it.'

'If they get what they want, then, then . . .'

'Then it all ends in destruction,' Rose told him. 'You told me the Family would live forever to breed and conquer, for war across the stars for every child.'

'It's here, in the journal,' Joan told them.

Tears were trickling down John's cheeks as sobs wracked his body. Rose reached out and hugged him, one last thing she could do as his wife, she could comfort her husband.

'Joan, Tim, would you wait outside, please?' Rose asked through tears of her own.

'Yes, of course. Come on young Latimer, it's time we left them alone.' Joan stood up and led Latimer out of the cottage.

'It has been an honour, and a privilege to be your wife for the last few weeks. And if it was real, I would happily stay here with you for the rest of my life. It would be a dream come true for me. But that's all it is, a dream, and it's time to wake up.'

'Will he love you like I do?' He couldn't bear the thought of her being unloved.

'Not like you do, because he's not human. But the things he does for me, the way he behaves . . . I'd like to think, in his own way, he loves me back.'

Rose held her hand over his with the watch in between. The Artron energy in the watch, and the Artron energy in Bad Wolf found each other and they shared a vision, each seeing it from their own perspective. The Doctor kissed Rose outside a church as the wedding bells rang out. He held and comforted their first-born child. They took two children for a walk in the woods, laughing and playing as they went. Rose lay on her death bed, an old woman, with an un-aged Doctor holding her hand.

['They're all safe, aren't they? The children, the grandchildren. Everyone's safe?'] Rose asked.

['Everyone's safe, and they all send their love, Rose.']

['Well, it's time. Thank you.'] In the vision, Rose closed her eyes, and in the cottage, John looked into the hazel eyes of the woman he believed was his wife.

'Did you see?' he asked her.

Rose looked puzzled, because she wasn't sure if she'd just seen a vision of John's imaginary life, or the Doctor's future life. 'Yes. I saw.'

'Good, because I think I'm ready.'

On the doorstep outside the cottage, Joan held her hands over Timothy's ears so that he would not hear the screams that came from inside. She could see a golden light shining out of the windows, casting eerie shadows in the trees opposite. Suddenly the screaming stopped, and the windows went dark.

She heard an exclamation from inside. 'BADABOOMA!'

Rose looked uncertainly at the man sitting in front of her. 'Are ya back . . . is it you?'

'Oh yes! I've never been more me,' he said with a grin. 'Right, we've got work to do. They'll be able to smell me now, so I've got to try and mask my smell with someone else's.'

Rose had an idea of what was coming next. 'And how'd ya do that then?'

'Do you remember the genetic transfer in the hospital?'

'DO I?!' she exclaimed. She was hardly likely to forget it.

'Well, not only did I transfer to you, you also transferred to me. We just have to do a bit more.'

Rose thought about that and frowned. 'Hang on . . . How much more?' She had images of them getting more physical than they had ever gotten in their entire time together.

'Ooh, any exposed skin should be enough. Y'know, face, neck, hands.'

Rose breathed a sigh of relief. 'Phew, that's a relief. I thought you were gonna say . . .' She stopped talking when she saw the Doctor's mischievous grin, and started to blush.

'So, just a few kisses here and there should do it.'

'Here, there, and where?' she asked with her hands on her hips. 'Look, if your life depends on this, then we're gonna do it properly. Sit on the chair,' she ordered.

He sat, straight backed on the kitchen chair, with his hands on his knees, and a serious expression on his face. 'Thank you for this.'

'Yeah,' she said distractedly as she took his left hand and ran her tongue along the back of it before kissing it. She turned it over and kissed his palm, before taking each finger into her mouth in turn, and sucking it. She thought she heard a squeak escape from his lips.

'Run your fingers through your hair,' she told him in a voice that she was struggling to keep under control.

'What? Oh, my hair. Brilliant!' He'd been so distracted by her ministrations, that he'd forgotten that his hair was also alien.

She repeated the process on his right hand, and he ran that through his hair as well.

There was a gentle knock at the door. 'Is everything all right in there?' Joan asked.

'Fi . . .' the Doctor said in a high voice. He cleared his throat. 'Fine. Yes. Absolutely. Be out in a minute.'

Rose stood in front of him with her hands on her hips. 'Right. I think this next bit will be quicker an' easier if I sit on yer lap.'

She hitched the calf length tweed skirt up to her thighs, and straddled him. She held his face, and tilted his head forward to kiss his forehead. She kissed above each eye, and then each closed eye. She kissed his cheekbones, his cheeks and his nose. She gently sucked and kissed his chin, before working her way up his jaw line to lick and nibble his ears. She definitely heard a gasp and a groan when she did that.

She licked and kissed each side of his neck, before kissing his Adam's apple, which bobbed beneath her tongue as he gulped. Last but definitely not least, she moved to his mouth. Her tongue licked his top lip and then the bottom. With his lips now parted, she eased her tongue between them and sealed her lips over his.

This was not a genetic transfer. For Rose, time seemed to stand still, and the universe compressed to a single point in time and space. It was just them, existing in the moment until an explosion nearby shook the cottage.

Rose pulled out of the kiss and sighed dreamily. 'There ya go. That should do it.'

The Doctor realised his hands had been caressing her bum and thighs, and were now resting on her hips. His eyes went wide and his hands jerked away as though he'd received an electric shock.

'Er, yes. It should. Very thorough. Yes. Thank you.'

Rose swung her leg off him and stood up, smoothing her skirt down her legs. The Doctor stood up and smiled. 'Right. Time to end this. Allons-y!'

* * *

The Doctor walked across the field and up the hill from Joan Redfern's cottage, towards the TARDIS, where he could see Rose standing in front of the doors, waiting for him.

'All right. Molto bene!' he said as he reached her.

'How was she?' Rose asked.

'As well as can be expected. Two people she befriended, turn out not to be who they said they were. People she knew in the village, dead. She's feeling hurt and betrayed,' he explained.

'If you want, I could go and . . .' Rose started to offer.

'Time we moved on,' he said firmly. What Rose didn't know was that Joan had asked him a question that hurt him, and he couldn't answer. "Answer me this. Just one question, that's all. If the Doctor had never visited us, if he'd never chosen this place on a whim, would anybody here have died?"

'Erm, I meant to ask, back there, last night, that vision we had . . .'

'Oh yeah, what about it?'

'I mean, was it just John Smith's imaginary time line, or was it somethin' else?'

'I really don't know. Never used the Chameleon Arch before. It could have been his, or it could have been mine. It could have been both, or it could have been neither,' he said helpfully.

'A fat lot of use you are,' she laughed.

'Well, whatever it was, it's gone now. Best not dwell on it too much; spoilers and all that. And I never said . . . thanks for lookin' after me.' He opened his arms in an invite for a hug, and she readily accepted.

'Doctor . . . Rose,' a voice called to them, and they released their hug to turn and see who had called them.

'Tim-Timothy-Tim-ah,' the Doctor said in a friendly greeting as Timothy Latimer approached.

'I just wanted to say goodbye, and thank you . . . because I've seen the future and I now know what must be done.' He'd had a vision from the watch, a vision of him fighting in the trenches, of a falling munitions shell, at one minute past seven. 'It's coming, isn't it . . . ? The biggest war ever.'

'You don't have to fight,' Rose said.

'I think we do.' He may have been just a boy, but his vision had taught him that some things are worth fighting for.

'But you could get hurt,' she told him.

'Well, so could you, travelling around with him, but it's not going to stop you,' he replied.

Rose smiled at that, what could she say? He was right.

'Tim, I'd be honoured if you'd take this.' The Doctor held out the fob watch.

'I can't hear anything,' he said, there were no more voices whispering in his head.

'No, it's just a watch now . . . but keep it with you, for good luck.' The Doctor knew that the watch had an important part to play in Tim's future.

Rose stepped forward and hugged him. 'Look after yerself.'

Tim was slightly embarrassed when she kissed him on the cheek; after all, he was just a lad, and Rose had been the school pin up. She went back up the hill and stepped into the TARDIS.

'You'll like this bit,' the Doctor said with a knowing smile, before following Rose inside and closing the door. He walked up the ramp and started the time rotor.

'D'ya think he'll be alright . . . Timothy?'

'What, young Latimer? Yeah, he'll be fine.' He stopped the time rotor. 'Do you want to see,' he said, smiling and nodding at the doors.

She looked at the doors, and back at the Doctor. 'Really?'

'Eleven o'clock, Sunday November the eleventh, 1990,' he said, as he shut down the console. 'You might want to put on a smart jacket.'

Wearing a suitably smart black jacket, Rose took his arm as they walked through the tranquil village of Leadworth.

'Hold on,' she said as they passed a newsagent. She went inside, and came out holding up two red poppies.

'Wouldn't be right without wearin' one of these.' She started to pin one on her lapel as they walked towards the village green and the war memorial.

'Rose Tyler,' he said with a smile. 'What would I do without you?'

'Die, most likely,' she said without thinking.

They stopped at the edge of the green, and he thought about that as he looked over towards the assembled group of people.

'Yeah . . . but today's a day for remembering, not for dying,' he said with his hands in his pockets. 'Those who have died . . . and those who are no longer with us.'

She started to pin the poppy on his lapel as she thought about her mum and Mickey. She looked up into his eyes and wondered who he was remembering. Was it all the people on his home planet?

No it wasn't! He was remembering a conversation she'd had with John Smith, and a vision from a watch the night before.

"No, we're not married. We're . . . well . . . it's complicated." Why? Why did it have to be complicated? When he stopped and thought about it . . . really thought about it, it was simple.

"But you're not lonely, 'cos you've got me now. And you've shown me so many wonderful things, and I've helped you to love life again." He was remembering it in the first person. "And I need you . . . oh you have no idea how much I really need you." He did now. But he'd always known, and she had no idea how much he really needed her.

And she'd shown him that she understood him. "But to be you, you need a darker side, because sometimes you're forced to do bad things, and although you're never cruel, sometimes you have to be ruthless. And that makes you sad. You hate and loathe yourself when you have to be like that . . . and that's when you need me. Because I'm your best friend, and you're mine, and you're my whole world and . . . I love you."

And now, there was an inkling of an idea. "It has been an honour, and a privilege to be your wife for the last few weeks. And if it was real, I would happily stay here with you for the rest of my life. It would be a dream come true for me." It was a completely mad idea.

'So where's Tim then?' Rose asked, bringing him out of his musings.

'The chap in the wheelchair; ninety four years old, the last of his company.'

'Blimey, I don't think I'll ever get used to this. Just five minutes ago, I was kissin' his fresh faced cheek . . . Oh look, he's still got the watch.'

'Of course, saved his life that watch did.'

'What, did it stop a bullet or somethin'?'

'Nah that only happens in the movies; this was a bomb.' He saw her puzzled expression. 'When the watch was the Chameleon Arch, it showed him when to duck . . . always useful that . . . knowing when to duck.'

They turned to listen to the service being read by the local lady vicar. 'They fell with their faces to the foe. They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old. Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning. We will remember them.'

The Doctor looked at Tim, who had tears in his eyes. "Nah, she'd never go for it . . . would she?" he thought to himself.

He looked at the vicar, who was chatting with the young and old soldiers. "She might though."

He glanced over at the spire of the quaint, village church behind the trees. It looked very familiar. "No, it couldn't be . . . could it?"

'Hey, are you all right?' Rose asked, looking concerned. It always worried her when he went quiet, it usually meant he'd found trouble.

He turned to face her and held her shoulders, his eyes sparkling with excitement, and something she couldn't put her finger on. If she had to call it, it would be mischief.

'Rose Tyler. Do you trust me? And don't just say "of course" like you usually do, take your time and think about it.' He was gazing deep into her hazel eyes, as if he was trying to assess her mood.

She was gazing into his brown eyes, trying to work out what he was up to. It wasn't dangerous, she could tell that, but what was it that had got him so excited. 'Is this long enough?'

'Eh?'

'To think about it before I tell you that I trust you. Always have, always will.'

'Er, yes. I suppose it is.'

'Okay then, yeah I trust you. Always have, always will.'

'Brillliant! Molto bene. Look, I've just got to go and arrange some stuff and then I'll be back.' He kissed her on the cheek. 'Don't move.' He kissed her on the lips. 'Well, you can move, of course. just don't go anywhere. Have a chat to Tim or something. Introduce yourself to the vicar . . . NO! No, don't talk to the vicar. Not just yet anyway. I'll be back in five minutes.'

He held her face and kissed her passionately on the lips. 'It's definitely become a habit,' he said and ran off into the village.


	12. Memorials & Marriages

**Chapter 12**

 **Memorials & Marriages**

Rose watched the Doctor run around the corner into Leadworth village. What was he up to? And why shouldn't she talk to the vicar? She turned back to the group of people who were standing around the war memorial. There were cadets, serving soldiers, and the veterans, all chatting and exchanging stories.

Timothy Latimer looked at her and smiled, and she wandered over to say hello. 'Hiya Tim. Howya doin'?' she said, as she leaned forward to kiss his cheek.

'Hello Rose. It's really true; they shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old. Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn,' he quoted from the ode of remembrance. 'I can't believe it's been nearly eighty years. You haven't aged a day.'

She leaned forward and spoke in a conspiratorial whisper. 'I haven't even aged an hour.'

He gasped in amazement. 'I knew the Doctor was a Time Lord, but to actually see it . . . to live a lifetime, and see you as you were that day . . . it's incredible.'

Rose smiled at him. 'Yeah, I know. It gives me a buzz every time we do it.'

'And where is the Doctor?' Tim asked, looking past her across the green.

'Oh, he said he had to go an' arrange somethin'. He was bein' all mysterious and secretive as usual.'

Tim raised his eyebrows in realisation and smiled. 'Ah, so that's when he does it.'

'Does what?' asked Rose with a frown. What was going on?

'Does the thing he's gone off to do,' he replied cryptically.

'Oh you're as bad as 'im,' she said with a smile. She thought she could hear the muffled sound of the TARDIS somewhere in the distance.

'He told me that you trust him. That you always have, and that you always will. I think your trust is well founded, so keep the faith and your dreams will come true.'

The vicar came over to Rose and held out her hand. 'Hello Rose. It's lovely to meet you at last.'

'Hello,' she said shaking her hand. A frown seemed to be a permanent fixture on her face. 'Do I know you?'

'Oh no. Of course, you don't know yet do you? Sorry, just forget I said anything. The Doctor will be here any minute . . . in fact, here he comes now.'

The Doctor approached from the direction of the church, opposite to the direction he had left. He came bounding across the green, all full of energy and excitement.

'Rose, I'm back!' he said with a wave. 'Can I have a word? We've got things to discuss.' He held her elbow and guided her over to the war memorial.

They sat on the stone slab in front which contained the inscription of the names of the fallen in the wars. He looked up at the statues, a mother with a shield, her fallen son to her left, a fallen villager to her right.

'Of all the places it could have been, I never thought it would be at a symbol of conflict and war,' he said mysteriously.

'Thought what would be?' She reached out and held his hand. 'Doctor, what's goin' on?'

He turned his gaze from the statues to her and smiled. 'There again, they're also a symbol of peace, fortitude and hope . . . I like hope.'

'Doctor?'

'Eh? Oh, what's going on? Well, a while ago you asked me where it would be, and whether it would be romantic. And there was another question you asked which I can answer now, if you'll answer mine.'

Rose was trying to work out what he was on about. "Where what would be romantic?" she thought to herself, when he slid off the stone slab and knelt on one knee in front of her, holding her hands.

'Whatcha doin'?' she asked in surprise.

'Rose Marion Tyler, you have been incredibly patient with me, and so understanding. Even when I didn't deserve it. Unfortunately, it took a bout of being human, and you opening your heart to that human, for me to realise what I've got, and a vision in a watch to realise what I could have.'

'Oh my God . . . is this what I think it is?'

He reached into his jacket pocket and took out a small red case. He flipped it open to reveal a fabulous diamond ring. 'Rose . . . will you marry me . . . now, today, in that church over there?'

She sat on the slab, open mouthed and dumbstruck. Surely this wasn't happening. She was dreaming, it was another vision somehow.

The Doctor was looking at her worriedly, muttering under his breath. 'Please say yes. Please say yes. Please say yes. Please say yes.'

She looked over to the group of people on the other side of the green, all looking at them expectantly. Tim smiled at her knowingly and nodded. The vicar had her hands held together in front of her, nervously biting her knuckle in anticipation.

She looked back down into the deep, ancient, cute, puppy dog eyes. 'Wellll, I'd like to marry you today, in that church. But it don't work like that, except in films an' stuff. There's the Banns to be read an' stuff an' . . . everythin'.'

He gave her that look, the one where she had dribbled down her smart jacket. 'I'm a Time Lord . . . I have a time machine. It's all sorted . . . if you want.'

Tears started to trickle down her cheeks. 'Yes!' she whispered. 'Oh want. I SO want this! Doctor, yes, I'll marry you!'

He gave her the most enormous, joyous grin she had ever seen on his face. He slid the ring on her finger and stood up. She was already on her feet, and he lifted her high into the air, wrapping his arms around her thighs and turning circles, slowly lowering her down into a passionate kiss.

The crowd on the green cheered and applauded, as the Doctor shouted. 'Yes! Yes! Yes!'

The vicar walked over to them. 'I take it she said yes then?' Just wanting to confirm that her assumption was correct.

The Doctor could hardly speak. 'Oh yes, Margaret. Definitely. Absolutely.'

'Oh good. I'm so pleased. He wasn't sure you know,' Margaret told Rose. 'I've never seen someone so nervous about asking the question. You'd have thought his life depended on it. Anyway can't stand here gossiping, I've got a service to prepare.' She hurried off across the green, and took the group with her towards the church.

'But Doctor, what about a dress, bridesmaids, and all that?'

He waggled his eyebrows. 'Sorted.' He took her hand, and led her towards the church.

At the church, Rose stepped through the arched, stone doorway into the cool exterior, and was immediately enveloped in a squealing hug from her two best friends.

'Shareen, Keisha, what are you doin' here?'

'We're your bridesmaids of course, you numpty. why'd ya think we're dressed like this?' Shareen said, holding her arms out to indicate the peach dresses they were wearing.

'You look brilliant. I can't believe this is happenin'.'

'Believe it girlfriend,' Keisha said. 'That bloke of yours is a diamond geeza. If you ever let him go, I'm havin' him myself. He's arranged everythin','

'But what about a dress? I can't get married in a jacket and trousers.'

Shareen laughed. 'Get used to this word; you'll hear it a lot today. Sorted. It's in the vestry, with the hair curlers and your bouquet.'

Rose started to cry. 'Hey, hey,' her friends said, wrapping their arms around her shoulders. 'Don't cry, this is supposed to be the happiest day of your life,' Shareen told her.

'I am happyyy,' she wailed. 'It's just that mum and dad aren't here, and I've got no one to give me away.' (sob)

'You've really got to trust that man of yours more! It's sorted. He's shipped in a load of people he said you'd be pleased to see. And the old guy over there in fancy dress is waiting to give you away. I think the Doctor said his name is Charlie.'

Rose wiped her eyes, and leaned to the side to look past her friends. Sitting in a pew at the back of the church was a man in Victorian clothing. He stood up and gave her a nervous smile.

'Charles!' She ran over, and gave Charles Dickens a hug. 'Oh thank you, thank you.'

'Oh, I say,' he stuttered as he awkwardly patted her back. 'I think I could get used to this modern behaviour.'

Rose let him go from the hug and held his hands. 'Thank you SO much for doin' this. You don't know what it means to me.'

'My dear girl. How could I refuse when that strange man with the unruly hair, stepped out of the Doctor's shed and told me who he was and what he proposed to do?' He nodded sideways towards the back of the church.

Rose looked, and there at the entrance to the nave, next to the stone font, was the Doctor's shed. The Doctor was leaning against it with his arms and legs crossed, and a contented smile on his face. She blew him a kiss and mouthed "thank you" to him. He gave her a cocky wink in reply.

'Rose,' Shareen called to her. 'We need to get you into that dress and get your hair done.'

'Comin'.'

They led her to the vestry, and opened the door for her to enter. Hanging on a shelf opposite, was her wedding dress. She gasped, and tears started to well in her eyes again. It was beautiful, all silk and lace and pearls, with a lace up bodice.

'C'mon kid, we've gotta squeeze ya into this little number,' Keisha said with a smirk.

Rose stripped off, and put on the clean pair of pale blue knickers that were on the chair. 'Gotta have somethin' blue, girl,' Shareen told her. Her bridesmaids helped her to put on the white basque, and laced her into it. She put on the stockings, and a garter borrowed from Keisha. She didn't go into the details of why Keisha had a sexy, white leather garter. She then put on the white, ankle high boots, before putting on the dress. Finally, she sat at the desk, while Keisha styled her hair into loose curls, and Shareen did her makeup.

The Doctor went to his suite of rooms in the TARDIS, and took his Gallifreyan clothing out of the wardrobe. He took a deep breath and sighed, he had not worn these clothes in a long, long, long time. He put on the traditional deep red trousers and tunic, over which he wore an open coat of the same colour with a wide golden border inscribed with Gallifreyan writing.

He stood in front of the full length mirror, and turned to the left and the right, checking his profile. He leaned forward, sniffed and rubbed his chin. 'Yep! You'll do.'

He left the TARDIS, and went into the church to chat to the guests. Eventually, the vicar came up to him and asked him to take his seat at the front of the church, as they would be starting soon.

Shareen came out of the vestry and went to Charles to ask him to come and fetch Rose. She liked Charles, he was so old fashioned and sweet, a real gentleman.

'Oh my word! What a vision of beauty my eyes behold!' he said. Rose beamed a smile at him that lit up the room.

'Don'tcha just love the way he talks?' Shareen said.

He held his arm out for her. 'Are you ready my dear?'

'Oh yes!' She took his arm and walked out of the vestry.

Mendelssohn's Wedding March started up on the church organ, expertly played by the man himself. The Doctor had asked Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy if he would mind showing them how it should be played.

As Rose walked slowly towards the altar, Charles leaned towards her slightly. 'I have to ask you Rose. That man you are marrying, is he really the Doctor? Because I have to say, not only does he not look like the Doctor I met in Cardiff, he doesn't seem as rude or abrupt.'

Rose laughed quietly. 'Yer got that right Charles, but he is definitely the same man. He's more at peace with himself these days.'

'But how is it that a man can change his visage so.'

Rose smiled at him. 'He sort of had an accident. It's complicated.'

The Doctor looked over his shoulder, and his breath caught in his chest. He couldn't believe the vision of beauty that was slowly coming towards him. She came alongside and gave him a big grin.

'Hiya,' she said with a saucy wink.

'Hi yourself,' he replied. 'You look beautiful.'

'Considerin' I'm human, I know.'

'You're not going to let me forget that, are you?'

'Dearly beloved, we are gathered together here in the sight of God, and in the face of this Congregation, to join together this man and this woman in holy Matrimony . . .' Margaret started.

She proceeded through the marriage service in the usual format. 'Doctor, will you take Rose Marion to be your wife? Will you love her, comfort her, honour and protect her, and, forsaking all others, be faithful to her as long as you both shall live?'

He gazed lovingly into her eyes. 'I will.'

'Rose Marion, will you take the Doctor to be your husband? Will you love him, comfort him, honour and protect him, and, forsaking all others, be faithful to him as long as you both shall live?'

Rose grinned at him. 'I will.'

'Who gives this woman to be married to this man?' Charles stepped forwards and proudly passed Rose's hand to Margaret. It was at this point that she went a bit off script. She took an ornately embroidered strip of golden cloth and wrapped it around Rose's hand and she held it out towards the Doctor. He took the end of the cloth and wrapped it around his own hand.

'Who speaks for the bride?' Margaret asked.

A short, dark haired woman in the first row of seats stood up behind Rose and spoke. 'I consent and gladly give.'

That voice! Rose knew that voice. She turned quickly and saw the smiling face of Sarah Jane Smith. She gasped back tears. 'Sarah Jane?! I, I . . .' Sarah Jane nodded at her and sat down.

'Who speaks for the groom?' Margaret continued.

Rose's eyes went wide when a bearded man in Elizabethan clothing stood and winked at her. 'I consent and gladly give,' he said with a theatrical flourish and a bow.

The Doctor and Rose exchanged vows, promising to hold each other for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish. When the Doctor got to the next part, there was the briefest of hesitations that only Rose and Sarah Jane noticed. Till death us do part, had more significance to a Time Lord than any human.

And, according to God's holy law, in the presence of God, they made those vows.

'The couple shall now exchange rings,' the vicar announced, and Rose suddenly realised that the Doctor didn't have a best man.

She smiled and thought "sorted", as Tim was wheeled towards them with two ring cases on his lap. He took out two, plain gold rings and placed them on the deep red cushion.

They exchanged rings, and Rose could see a Gallifreyan symbol engraved on it. She made a mental note to ask the Doctor what it meant.

'Those whom God hath joined together let no man put asunder,' Margaret said, and then went back to the Gallifreyan ceremony. 'The groom will now exchange that which no other may know.'

Rose looked puzzled, as the Doctor leaned forward and whispered in her ear. It sounded alien, a kind of mix of Gaelic, Cantonese and any other sing song language.

'What was that?' she whispered.

'My Gallifeyan name. There are only two people in the whole universe who know it, and one of them is you.'

The significance of what he had just given her was not lost on her. It was his most precious and valuable gift he could give her, and she treasured it. Giving her his true name showed her that he trusted her with it, now and forever.

'You may now kiss, husband and wife,' Margaret said with a smile.

The Doctor took the tip of her chin gently in his thumb and forefinger and tilted her head back slightly. His lips gently brushed hers, and retreated slightly without breaking contact. They applied slightly more pressure and he tilted his head to the side. His hands cupped her face as his lips applied a little more pressure. Rose ran her hands through his oh, so great hair. The kiss was chaste, pure, sensual and erotic all at the same time. No one was quite sure how they achieved it, but it was a fantastic snog.

The congregation started to applaud, as once again, time stood still for Rose, and her universe consisted of just her and her true love, her husband, the Doctor.

Margaret cleared her throat and spoke to the congregation. 'Just chat amongst yourselves for a while. We just have the small matter of a licence to sign. Back soon.

Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy started playing some of his popular tunes, while Margaret took the Doctor and Rose to a table in the transept of the church. There was a hubbub of muted conversations as people chatted about the most unusual wedding they had ever been to.

Soon, the license was signed and filed safely away in the Doctor's pocket. Margaret stood in front of the altar and spread her arms out. 'Ladies and gentlemen, please be upstanding for . . .' She looked at Rose, as if wanting final confirmation of what she was about to say. Rose nodded with her tongue poking out between her teeth. 'The Doctor, and his good lady wife, the Mistress Rose.'

Will Shakespeare leaped to his feet and roared his approval. 'Oh bravo my friends, bravo.' His wife Anne stood beside him and applauded. She had a lot to thank Mistress Rose for, having told her wayward husband in no uncertain terms that he had taken a sacred vow that, forsaking all other, he would keep himself only unto her, so long as they both shall live.

His fame and notoriety had gone to his head, and it had gotten too big for his shoulders. He fancied himself as a ladies man when he stayed in London, and it took a young slip of a girl, with strong moral fibre to bring him down to earth. And Will knew it, and he too was grateful to that young slip of a girl.

'Bravo indeed,' Dickens said as he applauded.

Sarah Jane was standing next to him and she said, 'well done Rose, well done.'

'Have you known them long,' Charles asked her.

'The Doctor I've known for years. Rose I only met recently, but I knew when I first met her that he'd more than met his match. Oh, Sarah Jane Smith by the way.'

Charles shook her offered hand. 'Charles Dickens; pleased to meet you.'

'Really? THE Charles Dickens?'

'Well, yes. I suppose I am THE Charles Dickens; however there must be many people with that name.'

'But none as talented, or as modest.' They watched the happy couple walk down the nave of the church.

'But tell me, my dear lady,' he waved his fingers in front of his face. 'Does the Doctor change his face and persona often?'

Sarah Jane laughed. 'He's done it to you as well has he? No, I don't think he makes a habit of it.'

Charles frowned in thought. 'Hmmm. Mind you, I suppose it will make for an interesting marriage.' Sarah Jane laughed again and took his arm to follow her friends.

The Doctor and Rose walked outside into bright morning sunshine, as the bells rang out in celebration. They kissed, and felt a thrilling shiver down their spines as one of the visions they had shared became a fixed point in history.

'You managed to hook him then Sweetie,' a trill, Brooklyn accent said from behind them. Rose turned to see a petite, platinum blonde, in a 1920's style beaded dress.

'Tallulah! Hah!' Rose grabbed her into a hug. 'How are ya? Thank you for bein' here.'

'Oh I wouldn't have missed this for all the bagels in Manhattan. And I kinda got the jump on you,' she said, holding up her left hand and wiggling her fingers to show her a gold ring.

Rose squealed with delight and hugged her again. 'Congratulations.' She looked around hesitantly. 'And where is the lucky man?'

A handsome hunk stepped to Tallulah's side and put his arm around her shoulders. 'Hello Rose. Congratulations yourself. You've got yourself one hell of a guy there.'

'Oh my God! Laszlo, you're face.' He was no longer a pig-like mutant; he was a normal, very handsome man.

'Yeah, I know. When the Doctor invited us to your wedding, he took us to this special, swanky hospital. I didn't believe it at first, thought it was a Halloween stunt. Y'know, trick or treat with all the nurses wearing cat masks an' all. But I gotta tell ya, they fixed me up good. And it didn't cost a dime, said the Doctor had called in a debt.'

Rose looked over to her husband, who was talking to some of the cadets and veterans. He looked over to her and smiled, seeing the loving look that she was giving him.

They mingled with the guests, giving out thanks for them coming, and receiving good wishes for their future. Rose put her arm through the Doctor's. 'I never thought to ask, are you okay with a human religious ceremony?'

'Oh yeah. I mean, I've never met the big guy, but he seems a decent enough sort. Were you all right with the Gallifreyan part?'

Rose laughed at him calling God "the big guy". 'Are you kiddin'? It was perfect. I loved it.' She looked around the guests, seeing her best friend Shareen chatting up Charles Dickens, and Sarah Jane talking to Will Shakespeare and his wife.

'How is it?' she asked with a frown. 'That all these people from different time periods, can be here in this one place at this one time?'

'Ooh, there you go again, asking all the right questions. The TARDIS has time locked the church. Through the lychgate over there, it's just after eleven o'clock, Sunday, November 11th, 1990. Inside the grounds of the church, it's any time you want it to be.' His eyes held a sad look. 'And I did try to get your mum here, and Jack, but their time lines were too intricately woven into ours.'

She kissed his cheek. 'Thank you for tryin'.'

After posing for three dimensional photos, taken by an award winning photographer from the 22nd century, the Doctor called for everyone's attention. 'Right you lot. The receptions back at our place, with a party and free bar afterwards.'

There was a cheer, and they led everyone back into the church, to the doors of the TARDIS. The Doctor opened both the doors, and Rose was about to walk in.

'Where do you think you're going?' he asked her.

'Into the TARDIS. Why?'

'Oh no you're not. You Mrs. Lungbarrowmas, are going into our home. And I believe there is a very human tradition which we have to observe.' She squealed with surprise, as he scooped her up and carried her over the threshold of the TARDIS.

He carried her through the console room, with gasps of surprise behind them from members of the remembrance service, who hadn't been in there before. They led them down a few corridors, to a set of double doors which opened into a large banqueting hall.

'It's all informal,' the Doctor told them. 'Sit where you like, but I'm afraid you'll have to help yourselves to your meals from the replicators, 'cos we've got no serving staff.'

Some of the cadets had a quick conference, and a young man stepped forward. 'We'll do it sir.'

The Doctor looked at him. 'What?'

'We'll do it sir. It would be an honour to serve yourself, your wife, and especially the veterans. It's sort of what remembrance Sunday is all about, isn't it. Respecting the men and women who gave their all for us.'

'Oh, that's so sweet of you,' Rose said.

The Doctor smiled at the cadets. 'You are a credit to those uniforms. Thank you.'

They had their meal, followed by speeches that were funny, poignant, and thought provoking. There was a cake for them to cut, which had been made as a special favour to the Doctor by Peggy Porschen. Once that was all done, they made their way through to another room, which was a ballroom, complete with holographic, virtual live band connected to a jukebox type machine.

The traditional first dance for the married couple was an easy choice, as Rose selected a track from the Glenn Miller catalogue. "In the Mood" started playing, and the Doctor led Rose onto the dance floor. The guests started to clap to the rhythm as the couple started to jive.

After the first dance was over, everyone was on the dance floor, and the virtual band started their playlist. Rose couldn't believe what she was seeing half the time. Shareen was teaching Dickens how to do the bump; Whilst Keisha had Shakespeare doing the lambada, with his wife looking on in disapproval. And later, Tallulah and Laszlo taught everyone how to do the Charleston properly.

All too soon, the celebration came to an end, and "Moonlight Serenade" signalled the last dance. Rose draped her arms around the Doctor's neck as he held her close around the waist, swaying to the rhythm of the music. Will and his wife Ann, Tallulah and Laszlo, Sarah Jane and Charles, Shareen, Keisha, and a couple of fit squaddies, all enjoyed the last dance before it was time to go.

When the music had finished, the Doctor and Rose led Margaret and the inhabitants of Leadworth back through the console room to the doors. 'Thank you Margaret for agreeing to all this, and thank you all for coming,' the Doctor said as he opened the doors.

'You are most welcome, Doctor. May you both have a long and happy marriage.'

'Thank you,' Rose said, kissing her on the cheek.

'Tim-Timothy-Tim-ah,' the Doctor said, shaking Latimer's hand. 'Thank you, best man. For now, and then.'

Rose stooped down and kissed him on the cheek. 'Thanks Tim.'

'My pleasure. Now and then,' he said with a mischievous smile.

'Now. You all might get a bit jet lagged when you go outside. It will still be just after eleven in the morning, so you might need an afternoon nap to catch up.'

Once the Leadworth people had left, he started up the Time Rotor, and they started to deliver the special guests back to their respective times.

The last stop was the park near Bannerman Road. Sarah Jane gave them both a long, affectionate hug. 'I could tell there was something special between you two when I first saw you together in that school.'

'I wish you'd have told him that,' Rose said with a laugh. 'Could have saved a lot of time and effort.'

'Oh, but half the fun is in the chase, and I must admit, I didn't see this coming.' She turned to the Doctor and held his hand. 'You've changed, and I don't just mean your face. When I knew you before, you would never have contemplated anything like this. But now, somehow, you seem more human, or less alien at least.'

'Losing your home can do that to you,' he said sadly. 'Gallifrey is gone, lost in a war with the Daleks.'

She put a hand to her mouth and gasped. 'I had no idea. That's awful, I'm so sorry.'

'Yeah, well, it's done now, and Rose helped me to come to terms with it, and now, here we are.'

'Yes, here you both are,' Sarah Jane agreed. 'A whole new big adventure ahead of you . . . Good luck.'

They all had tears in their eyes as they hugged for one last time, before Sarah Jane turned and left the TARDIS.

Hand in hand, they walked back up the ramp to the console, where he put the TARDIS into the Vortex. 'So, Mistress Rose,' he started hesitantly. 'Er, there's one tradition left.'

He was being uncharacteristically hesitant, and Rose suspected she knew why, but she couldn't resist teasing him. 'And which one would that be then?' she asked with a sultry voice.

He blushed. He actually blushed. 'Ah, er, um, well . . . I mean, we've only just started kissing, and, well, we can skip it if you want. I mean it's not a rule or anything, not the law. It's just a silly tradition.'

She moved in front of him, her back against the console, slowly rubbing her body up against his. 'I don't know, I kinda like traditions. I mean, we've already observed so many of them today, you even carried me over the threshold.'

'Well, yeah, I know . . .'

'An' I'm wearin' somethin' old.' She flicked her earrings. 'These were Mum's, from the flat. I'm wearin' somethin' new.' She stroked her hands seductively down her dress, before sitting on the console and resting her right leg across the edge.

She slowly pulled the hem of her dress above her knee to reveal Keisha's garter. 'That's borrowed,' she told him. She stood up and wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him on the lips. 'I'm gonna let ya find out what I'm wearin' that's blue,' she whispered in his ear.

The Doctor cleared his throat. 'So you're okay with that tradition then?' he asked, running his hands down her waist and hips.

'If it's the tradition I'm thinkin' of, my husband . . . then we are not goin' to get much sleep tonight.' She took his hand and led him out of the console room. 'Y'know, I love the sound of that, "my husband". I am never gonna get tired of sayin' it.'


	13. Blink

**Author's note: This chapter is for general audiences, where the Doctor and Rose discuss their honeymoon and after they come back go on a Scooby-Doo adventure. The Doctor's surname Lungbarrowmas, comes from the novel Lungbarrow by Marc Platt.  
An adult version of theis chapter will be posted seperately with all the intimate details of their wedding night.**

 **Chapter 13**

 **Blink**

Rose stood in front of the door to the Doctor's room, and realised that she had never actually seen inside his room before. Well, why would she? It was always his personal space, his inner sanctum, somewhere where he could go when he needed to be on his own. (Which was quite a lot when she'd first met him.)

She had been past the door many times, and always thought that it looked like it should be in a Robin Hood film. It was arched, and apparently made of dark oak, complete with black studs and a wrought iron ring as a handle. When the Doctor turned the ring and pushed the door open, she expected a Hollywood style creak of hinges.

The door swung open silently, and he led her inside by the hand. In his other hand, he had two Champagne flutes, and an ice bucket with a bottle of Bollinger under his arm which he had collected from the kitchen on the way past. She hesitantly, but not reluctantly followed him inside. She realised that this was a big step for them; not that getting married wasn't a big step in itself.

His room was how she would expect the room of a hero prince in a fairytale to look. It was all royal blues and purples with gold trim, and dark wood wardrobes, dressers and a desk. There was a sofa, and wooden chairs, all upholstered in the same lush material. Oh, and a fabulous four poster bed that they were now heading towards.

He put the glasses on the bedside table and the bucket on the floor, before turning to his wife and guiding her to sit on the edge of the bed. The mattress gave a little as she sat on it, but it seemed neither firm nor soft. It just seemed to support her weight perfectly. Without speaking, he popped the cork and poured two glasses of Champagne.

He sat beside her and handed her the glass, before wrapping his arm around hers, and they sipped their wine together. He then took the glass off her and put them on the table again.

'Well then,' she started, awkwardly. 'Here we are then.'

'Er, yes. Here we are,' he repeated, just as awkwardly.

"This is crazy!" Rose thought. It wasn't as if they were virgins. The Doctor had let slip once that he had been a father, and Rose had slept with Jimmy and Mickey. So why did she feel like a teenager on her first date?

'We could . . .' 'Shall I . . .' they said together, and burst out laughing.

'Ladies first,' he said gallantly.

'Well . . . I was thinkin', y'know, first things first an' all that,' she said, slightly embarrassed and reaching for the laces on her bodice. 'I'd best take this off.'

He stayed her hands. 'Ah, ah, Mistress Rose. I think you will find that it's my privilege to do that,' and then thought he was being a bit presumptuous. 'I mean, if that's all right with you?'

She looked surprised, and then excited. 'Ooh, yeah. Go on then.'

And so he did undress her, very slowly, and oh so carefully, and they consummated their marriage. For a long time they just lay there, unspeaking, their breathing and heart rates returning to some semblance of normality. The Doctor had his head resting beside hers, his chin on her collarbone, his lips gently kissing her neck. Rose had her arms wrapped around his chest, hugging him as though she wanted him to stay there forever.

'Phew!' she breathed, finally managing to get her brain working again.

'Phew indeed,' he said, pushing himself up on his arms and arching his back. 'I had heard about the human female orgasm, but I thought it was an exaggeration.'

'Heard about it?'

'Yeah, it's famous in this part of the galaxy, in a tabloid, sensational gossip magazine sort of way.'

Rose looked quite pleased with herself. 'Oh, right. I'm famous,' she giggled.

He rolled off her and reached the glasses of Champagne, handing one to Rose, and supporting his head on his hand as he sipped his drink and looked at his radiant wife.

'What?' she asked him, gazing into his dark, loving eyes.

He waggled his eyebrows. 'There's something I didn't tell you about my superior Gallifreyan biology.'

'Oh yeah. And what's that then?' she asked, waiting for him to brag about being superior to humans again.

'Well, it's just that . . . I can keep it up all night if you like.'

Rose's mouth fell open and her eyes went wide, 'You are kiddin' me!' She took his glass off him and put them both on the table, before rolling him onto his back. 'We are going to take this tradition to the max.'

It was late morning in the TARDIS when the newlywed couple started to stir. They had fallen into an exhausted sleep in the early hours of the morning, after a marathon session of lovemaking. They had certainly made up for the years of lost time. Rose lay by the Doctor's right side under the duvet, with her right leg across his thighs. She awoke with the memory of a really erotic dream which started with them getting married, and ended with . . . well, lets just say it was pretty damn amazing.

Confusingly, she felt an arm around her shoulders, and felt a warm body against hers. Was it a time travelling thing, and she was back in Mickey's flat, the last few years having been a dream? When she opened her eyes and saw the smiling face of the Doctor, the confusion evaporated and she knew her dream had come true.

'Morning,' he said, leaning down and kissing her forehead.

'Mornin',' she yawned. She snuggled up to him and started gently tracing circles around his left nipple.

They lay there cuddling for a long while, basking in their love for each other, and wondering why the hell they hadn't done this earlier. Rose heard his stomach gurgle, and realised that it was time to have some breakfast.

'Fancy a fry up?' she asked him.

'Ooh, that's a good idea. I'll do it,' he said.

She put her hand on his chest. 'No you won't! You stay here and conserve your strength, stud,' she told him as she climbed out of the bed.

'Stud?' He sniffed and smiled. 'Stud . . . right.' Rose laughed as she crossed to the door, and he admired her wiggling bum as it left the room.

Rose brought the bacon and egg fry ups on floating trays, with mugs of tea as well. She climbed under the duvet and kissed his cheek, before tucking in to her breakfast. She looked down at her wedding ring, and remembered that she had a question for him.

'I meant to ask you . . . the symbol on our rings, its Gallifreyan isn't it?'

'Mmm,' he said as he swallowed a mouthful. 'It's the character for eternity. It's forever.'

'Oh God, that's beautiful.' She dabbed her mouth with her napkin and kissed his cheek again.

'Now, there is another Earth tradition connected to marriage, and that's the honeymoon,' she said with a smile.

'Sorted,' he told her. 'I thought, start close to home with the Syrtis Major Pleasure dome on Mars in 2112.' He took a sip of his tea. 'Then the leisure planets of the 23rd century. The Leisure Hive of Argolis in the Mutter's Spiral, and Limnos 4, Abydos, and Fiesta 95 in the Rim Worlds. How does that sound?'

'Sounds wonderful. What are they like these leisure planets?'

'They're state-of-the-art in contemporary entertainments and methods of relaxation. They offer a wide variety of different possibilities, such as health spa's, anti-gravity restaurants, zero-gravity swimming pools, sleep-reading stations, and accelerated learning experiences. Ooh, and the zero-gravity volleyball is hilarious.'

'I can't wait.'

'Well, eat up, put some clothes on and we'll be on our way.'

'Oh, well. I can wait a little bit. I mean, we are in bed, and we are naked,' she said, floating the tray off her lap and reaching beneath the duvet.

'Mistress Rose! I doth believe thou art a little minx.'

'And I doth think thou might be right,' she said, disappearing under the duvet.

* * *

'Zero-gravity volleyball,' Rose laughed as they walked up the ramp towards the console. ''Who's idea was that, 'cos it's brilliant.' She dropped her holdall on the floor grating under the console.

'It was some entrepreneur on Abydos, and we have got to try it again sometime,' he told her, throwing his long coat over the coral strut. The game was played in a spherical, padded room, with a circular net running around the diameter. A team in each hemisphere had to hit a ball through the hole in the middle and get it to hit the wall opposite to score a point.

'Definitely. So what's been goin' on in the universe while we've been away?'

'So, the honeymoon's over then. Back to the day job of exploring and adventuring.'

She came up behind him, and wrapped her arms around his waist. 'Everyday with you is a honeymoon.'

He turned his head, and she kissed his lips. 'Ah. Rose Tyler. You say the nicest things.

'Oi! I'm Mrs. Lungbarrowmas now,' she reminded him.

He waggled his eyebrows with a mischievous grin and checked the monitor. 'What about a 'Scooby-Doo' style mystery?' he asked her.

'Yeah, go on then; do I get to peel the mask off the bad guy at the end?' she said with a laugh.

'I'd have gotten away with it, if it wasn't for you pesky kids,' he replied, laughing with her. 'Well, this has got all the ingredients, a big, old, empty house, and people disappearing.'

'Sounds perfect.'

'And something Scooby doesn't have; temporal disturbances.' He threw the switch, slammed the lever, and the TARDIS wheezed across the Vortex. 'Allonz-y.'

'So, where are we then,' Rose asked as she felt the TARDIS land with a gentle bump.

He did his "Vincent Price" voice. 'Wester Drumlin,' he said, shutting down the console.

'Ooh, it even sounds like something out of Scooby-Doo,' she said.

He grabbed his long coat and pulled it on, then took her hand and led her down the ramp. 'Come on then Velma, let's go take a look.'

'Velma? I'll have you know I'm the beautiful Daphne,' she said, tugging down her T-shirt, and smoothing her leather skirt. 'Shaggy,' she finished.

He pulled up by the doors. 'Shaggy?' he asked her, and then thought about it. He gave her his boyish grin. 'Yeah, you're right.'

He opened the door, and they stepped out. While he turned to close the door, Rose asked a very good question. 'Why d'ya think they've got statues in the basement? Is it a workshop or somethin'?'

He turned around and held her hand in alarm. 'Those aren't statues. They're . . .'

* * *

'Yup. That's me,' the Doctor said, reading Sally Sparrow's narrative off the autocue.

'Yes, I do,' he said.

'Yup, and this.' He nodded his head to the side.

He frowned. 'Are you going to read out the whole thing?

'I'm a time traveller. Or I was. I'm stuck in 1969.'

"Hang on", Rose thought, this isn't all about him. She moved from behind the camera and into view of the lens. 'We're stuck. For better, for worse, for richer, for poorer we promised each other. But I'm the one who's got a job in a shop. I've gotta support him!'

With her experience of working in Henrick's, Rose had managed to get a job in the newly opened clothing store Biba, on Kensington High Street. It was the same boring job, but one perk was that she got to wear some cool, retro 1960's designer gear. Because of her good looks and "fit" body, the manageress had her wearing the latest outfits to promote them to the customers.

At the moment, she was wearing a rather daring, white, Mary Quant crocheted mini dress, with white PVC boots. It was a bit distracting when the Doctor was trying to keep track of the transcript. He pointed at the camera. 'Rose?'

'Sorry,' she said sullenly, and moved back behind the camera.

'Quite possibly.' He continued his one sided conversation. 'Afraid so . . . Thirty eight . . . Er, ah, yeah, people don't understand time. It's not what you think it is,' he said, in response to Sally asking him to explain how he can be speaking to her from thirty eight years in the past. He had to be careful, if she knew too much, it might influence her actions.

'Complicated . . . Very complicated.'

He paused, as he thought about how best to explain time travel. 'People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint, it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly, timey-wimey . . . stuff.' That didn't go well.

'It got away from me, yeah . . . Well, I can hear you . . . Well, not hear you, exactly, but I know everything you're going to say . . . Look to your left,' he said, nodding his head to his right.

He continued reading the transcript, nodding his head in agreement, and then pointed at the autocue. 'I've got a copy of the finished transcript. It's on my autocue.'

'I told you. I'm a time traveller. I got it in the future,' he said in a matter of fact voice.

'Yeahhh. Wibbly wobbly, timey-wimey.' He waved his hand back and forth in dismissal.

'What matters is, we can communicate,' he said, finger and thumb tip together. 'We have got big problems now. They have taken the blue box, haven't they? The angels have the phone box . . . Creatures from another world . . . Only when you see them . . . The lonely assassins, they used to be called. No one quite knows where they came from, but they're as old as the universe, or very nearly, and they have survived this long because they have the most perfect defence system ever evolved. They are quantum-locked. They don't exist when they're being observed. The moment they are seen by any other living creature, they freeze into rock. No choice. It's a fact of their biology. In the sight of any living thing, they literally turn to stone. And you can't kill a stone. Of course, a stone can't kill you either. But then you turn your head away, then you blink, and oh yes it can.' He hoped that explanation was sufficient to make them realise how much danger they were in.

'That's why they cover their eyes. They're not weeping. They can't risk looking at each other. Their greatest asset is their greatest curse. They can never be seen. The loneliest creatures in the universe. And I'm sorry. I am very, very sorry. It's up to you now . . . The blue box, it's my time machine. There is a world of time energy in there they could feast on forever, but the damage they could do could switch off the sun. You have got to send it back to me.'

'Aaaand that's it, I'm afraid. There's no more from you on the transcript, that's the last I've got. I don't know what stopped you talking, but I can guess. They're coming. The angels are coming for you. But listen, your life could depend on this. Don't blink. Don't even blink. Blink and you're dead. They are fast. Faster than you can believe. Don't turn your back, don't look away, and don't blink . . . good luck.'

'And cut,' Rose said, stopping the camera. 'Was that everythin'?'

'For now, yes, I'll have to encode some digital information onto the audio track for the TARDIS, so that she'll initiate security protocol seven one two when the recording is taken on board.'

'Seven one two?'

'Yeah, single journey that will lock onto my Artron energy signature, like a homing device.'

'Clever,' she said with a smile. 'Come on, I'm cookin' shepherd's pie for tea.'

The next evening, after Rose had finished working in the clothing store; and had changed out of her classic black and white vinyl dress. And after she'd cooked their tea, and made her husband do the washing up, they set off with the timey-wimey detector that he'd been working on while she was at work.

Detective Inspector Billy Shipton staggered backwards against the wall of the alleyway and slid down to the ground. He was dizzy and nauseous, and he could hear a ringing, beeping, dinging in his ears. No, wait a minute, he could actually hear a beeping and a ding, and it was getting closer.

'Welcome,' a "too cheerful for how he was feeling" voice said.

'Where am I?' he asked the tall, thin man in the brown coat, who was listening to a single earpiece plugged into a retro looking radio.

'Nineteen sixty nine. Not bad, as it goes. You've got the moon landing to look forward to,' the spiky haired man said.

'Oh, the moon landing's brilliant. We went four times . . . back when we had transport,' the cute blonde woman said accusingly.

'Working on it,' the man said.

'How did I get here?' Billy asked him.

'The same way we did. The touch of an angel. Same one, probably, since you ended up in the same year.'

Billy tried to stand. 'No, no. No, no, no, don't get up. Time travel without a capsule. Nasty. Catch your breath. Don't go swimming for half an hour.' The tall man climbed through the red guard rails, and sat down beside him.

'I don't. I can't,' he mumbled in confusion.

'Fascinating race, the Weeping Angels,' the man said, looking up into the night sky. 'The only psychopaths in the universe to kill you nicely. No mess, no fuss, they just zap you into the past and let you live to death. The rest of your life used up and blown away in the blink of an eye. You die in the past, and in the present they consume the energy of all the days you might have had. All your stolen moments. They're creatures of the abstract. They live off potential energy.'

Billy screwed his face up. 'What in God's name are you talking about?'

The blonde looked down at him and smiled. 'Trust me. Just nod when he stops for breath. That's what I do.'

He opened his mouth to speak, and closed it again, looking up at the blonde with a frown, before starting to talk again. 'Tracked you down with this.' The man held up a 1960's radio, with a recording reel rotating on it. 'This is my timey-wimey detector. It goes ding when there's stuff. Also, it can boil an egg at thirty paces, whether you want it to or not, actually, so I've learned to stay away from hens. It's not pretty when they blow.'

'I don't understand. Where am I?' Billy asked angrily. He was in shock, only moments ago he'd been in basement garage of the station.

'1969, like he says,' the blonde told him.

'Normally, I'd offer you a lift home, but somebody nicked my motor. So I need you to take a message to Sally Sparrow,' the man said.

Sally Sparrow, what had she got to do with all this? He'd only asked her for her phone number. He realised that the man was still talking, his voice now tinged with sadness.

'And I'm sorry, Billy, I am very, very sorry . . . It's going to take you a while.'

'How long?' Billy asked.

'We'll talk about that later maybe,' the man said, starting to stand up.

Billy grabbed his arm firmly. 'How long?'

The tall, thin man, with spiky hair, gave him such a sad look, which gave him the answer, even before he spoke. 'A life time.'

'Who are you people, how do you know all this?'

'I'm Rose,' the blonde said holding her hand out to be shaken. 'And this is my husband, the Doctor.'

'Doctor who?'

'Just the Doctor,' Rose said.

They helped him to his feet, and made sure the dizziness had passed.

'Come on, we've got a spare room back at our place for you, and then in the morning, we can discuss the future.'

In the morning, Rose made breakfast for them all, and they tried to explain what was happening to Billy. The Doctor started to brief Billy on what he needed to know.

'I've written the things you need to know in this notebook,' the Doctor told him, taking a small, paperback notebook out of a small holdall. 'Keep it safe, and try and memorise everything in it.'

'What's in it, does it tell my future?'

The Doctor frowned, trying to think of the correct phrase. 'More of a guide to your future. There are some definite no-no's, like Sally Sparrow, DO NOT try to contact her before the allotted time.'

'Which is?' Billy asked, raising his eyebrows.

The Doctor hesitated, his face sad. 'I'm sorry Billy . . . but it's the day you die. If you try and contact her before then, you'll create a causal feedback loop paradox, and tear a hole in the fabric of space and time, which will destroy two thirds of the universe.'

'Just nod,' Rose said helpfully.

'The same goes for historic events from now until 2007, stay out of them, let them happen. I take care of anything that needs to be prevented.'

'Really,' Billy said sceptically.

'Yeah, really. Remember Ten Downing Street being hit by an Exocet? That was us.'

'We were put on terror alert when that happened,' Billy told him.

'Sorry about that, had to stop aliens from taking over the Earth. Oh, and the ghosts turning into robots, fighting the flying pepper pots in the skies around Canary Wharf . . . hang on, that sounds like a pop group.'

'What does?' Rose asked in confusion.

'The Flying Pepper pots, you should write that down Billy . . . sorry, where was I? Oh yes, Canary Wharf; that was us sending them to Hell. Rose did a brilliant improvised safety line with a pair of trousers.'

Rose noticed that Billy was looking confused again. 'Nod,' she said helpfully.

'Just let things happen as you remember them,' the Doctor told him.

'Okay,' Billy said, thumbing through the notebook. 'What about my career, will I be able to pick up where I left off?'

The Doctor shook his head. 'People aren't as enlightened as they are in the twenty first century, prejudice is rife I'm afraid,' he said sadly.

'Anyway Billy-Boy, you get into publishing,' the Doctor said, reaching into his pocket and taking out a roll of notes. 'Take this money, and spend the day looking for a job. We've got some decorating to do, so we'll see you back here this evening for the final briefing.'

'Hey, that's my money!' Rose said in protest, she'd worked for days in the clothing shop to earn that.

'And after this evening, we won't need it,' the Doctor told her.

'What, it's happening tonight?' she asked excitedly.

'Yep, yesterday, the owners of Wester Drumlin went away on a luxury holiday they won in a competition . . . Funny that, I don't think they even entered a competition.'

'How could you possibly know that?' Rose asked.

'Because I thought of it and it happened, which means that when we get the TARDIS back, I arrange for them to win a holiday competition.'

'That's brilliant!' she exclaimed.

'TARDIS?' Billy asked.

They both looked at him. 'It's complicated,' they said together.

So, there they were, back at Wester Drumlin with a holdall full of rolls of wallpaper, a packet of paste, scissors, a scraper, a wooden spoon, some brushes, and a pack of wax crayons. They stood, looking at the regency fireplace, with the candelabra light fittings on the wall, and the ripped corner of paper that the Doctor had taken the day before to get a match.

'Right, I'll start stripping the rest of the paper off, you go and see if you can find a bucket to mix the paste in,' he said as he dropped the holdall on the floor, and took out the scraper.

The Doctor had made really good progress when she returned, and standing on a table that he had moved over to the fireplace, he was carefully removing the uppermost parts of the paper. He took out the packet of crayons, and selected a black one before approaching the wall.

'Here we go then, time to write Sally the message,' he said and he wrote "BEWARE THE WEEPING ANGEL".

'I've been wondering, how does this work then, y'know, when does the TARDIS come back?' Rose asked him.

He wrote "OH, AND DUCK" as he explained. 'When this message is complete, and we've covered it with wallpaper, we go back to Billy and give him the list of seventeen DVD's and the reel of film that he will eventually record onto those DVD's. When we do that, the circle is complete, Sally and Larry do their bit, they put the DVD in the TARDIS console, and it appears in front of us as Billy takes the list and reel off us.' He wrote "NO REALLY, DUCK!"

'Wow! How do you do that?' she asked in admiration.

'Years of practice,' he said as he finished "SALLY SPARROW DUCK, NOW". 'Okay, let's cut the paper to size.'

By the end of the afternoon, Wester Drumlins was back to how it had been before the owners had left. No one would be any the wiser that a message had been left on the wall over the fireplace.

Billy Shipton walked into the flat and walked over to them, he had a bemused smile on his face.

'How did it go Billy?' Rose asked.

'Well, that's the weird thing,' he said frowning. 'I went to the Job Centre to register, except it's called the Employment Exchange in this day and age, and then it hit me, I don't exist here, no birth certificate, no National Insurance number, no NHS number, nothing.'

'Oh God, I hadn't thought about that, what happened?'

'I gave them my name, the day, and month of my birth, and then hesitated about the year, I mean, it was . . . or will be 1980, but they found me, born on the eighth of October, 1942. I have a National Insurance number, and an NHS number, I mean; tell me, how can that be?'

Rose looked at the Doctor, and he waggled his eyebrows with a smile. 'I think you'll find you've got a bank account as well, with some funds in it to get you started.'

Billy just looked at them, stunned into silence. Rose hugged him and gave him a kiss on the cheek, before walking over to the Doctor. 'Is there no end to your talents?'

'Not found one yet,' he said with a cheeky grin. The Doctor took a piece of paper out of his pocket, along with a yellow foil packet. 'This is a list of seventeen films that you will publish on DVD's in the future,' he said handing it over.

Billy looked at the list and laughed. 'These are mostly 'chick flicks'.' And then he had a realisation. 'These are Sally Sparrows DVD's, aren't they, how can you possibly know this?'

'Yes they are, I can't tell you how I know, and you can't tell her either Billy. One day she'll work it out for herself,' the Doctor told him quietly.

'And now, the final piece of the puzzle.' He held out the yellow foil packet. 'This is a recording that has to be hidden on those seventeen DVD's, it's imperative that it's reproduced perfectly.'

Billy took the offered packet, and they heard the sound of time and space being bent out of shape.

'Ah, that's our ride.' He held his hand out, one last time, and Billy shook it. 'Thank you Billy Shipton, you've saved the Earth from destruction by a quantum locked life form.'

Billy looked, open mouthed at the TARDIS as it appeared in the flat. 'It was yours all along . . . the dummy police box . . . it was yours.'

The Doctor patted the wooden exterior with affection. 'Yep, best set of wheels in the universe.'

Rose gave Billy a long, long hug. 'I'm sorry you can't come with us, but like he said, we need you to save the universe, and there aren't many who can say they've done that.'

'It's certainly something to put on my C.V,' he said with a smile.

Rose released him from the hug, and the Doctor opened the TARDIS door. She went inside and the Doctor stood in the doorway, looking at Billy.

'Doctor, your notebook says that I'll meet Sally again . . . on the day that I die . . .'

'Yeah, you have a long and happy life to live before then, so don't be too eager, but when you meet her, you'll have until the rain stops.' Billy nodded his understanding, and the Doctor nodded back. Without another word, he stepped inside the TARDIS and closed the door.


	14. Utopia

**Chapter 14**

 **Utopia**

The Doctor and Rose walked up the ramp to the console and started the time rotor; Rose stroked one of the coral struts.

'Oh it's SO good to have her back again,' she said.

'Yeah,' he said with a smile. 'Why don't you go and freshen up, while I'll go and rig a holiday competition and change the date of birth on Mr. Shipton's records.'

She kissed him on the lips, and went through to the corridor that led to her room. Twenty minutes, and a change of clothes later, she returned to the console room. The Doctor was just in the process of landing the TARDIS.

'So where are we?' she asked.

'Cardiff,' he replied.

'Oh, a pit stop.'

'Exactly. Should only take twenty seconds . . . the rift's been active,' he said, deep in thought. 'Finito. All powered up,' he announced, and moved around the console. As he did, he saw a familiar figure running towards them on the monitor. He could feel the wrongness of Jack Harkness, and so could the TARDIS. He pulled down the materialise/dematerialise lever, and started the time rotor, looking up and smiling as it pumped up and down. Suddenly, there was an explosion on the console, and the TARDIS lurched, throwing them to the floor.

'Whoa! What's that?' Rose asked in a panic.

He climbed to his feet and braced his foot on the console as the TARDIS bucked. 'We're accelerating into the future. The year one billion . . . five billion . . . five trillion . . . Fifty trillion . . . ? What . . . ? The year one hundred trillion? That's impossible.'

'Why? What happens then?'

'W, w, w, we're going to the end of the universe.'

The TARDIS bucked and lurched, throwing them to the floor as it "clumped" to a halt

'Well, we've landed,' he told her.

'So what's out there?'

'I don't know.'

'Come again? That's rare.'

'Not even the Time Lords came this far . . . We should leave. We should go. We should really, really go.' He gave her a big grin and grabbed his long coat off the coral as he ran for the door. They stepped outside, and the Doctor pulled on his coat as they looked around.

Rose saw someone lying on the ground not far from the TARDIS. 'Oh my God!' she called out, and ran over to see if she could help. She frowned when she saw the face of the unconscious man. 'Jack? Oh my God, Doctor. It's Jack.'

'Hello again,' the Doctor said mysteriously. 'Oh, I'm sorry.'

'But how did he get here?'

'I think he came with us.'

'How do you mean, from Cardiff?'

'Must have been clinging to the outside of the TARDIS all the way through the vortex. Well, that's very him.'

'But he's . . . there's no heartbeat. There's nothing. He's dead.'

Jack suddenly gasped and grabbed Rose, making her scream.

'Jack. Jack. It's all right. Just breathe deep. I've got you.'

'Rose!' He grabbed her shoulders and pulled her into a hug. 'It's really you.'

'Yeah. It's really me . . . and him,' she laughed as she helped him to his feet.

Jack looked over to the Doctor, and Rose noticed that they weren't happy to see each other.

'Doctor,' Jack said cautiously.

'Captain,' the Doctor said coldly.

'Good to see you.'

'And you. Same as ever . . . Although, have you had work done?'

'You can talk,' Jack said with a smile.

'Oh yes, the face. Regeneration. How did you know this was me?'

'The police box kind of gives it away. I've been following you for a long time . . . You abandoned me.'

'What?' Rose asked in surprise. Looking to the Doctor for him to tell her it wasn't true.

'Did I?' he said dismissively. 'Busy life. Moving on.'

'You told me he stayed behind. Busy rebuilding the Earth you said,' Rose said accusingly.

'Rose?' Jack asked hesitantly. 'Just got to ask. The Battle of Canary Wharf. I saw the list of the dead. It said Jackie Tyler.'

'Oh, no! Sorry, she's alive,' Rose said with a smile.

'You're kidding.'

'Parallel world, safe and sound. And Mickey,' the Doctor told him.

'Oh, that's great news. I was so worried for you Rose.' He reached out and hugged her. Although he'd never met Jackie, he'd been keeping an eye on the family over the years, and he knew what a great mother she'd been to Rose.

'Thanks Jack. God I've missed you. You'll have to tell me what you've been up to.'

'How long have you got?' Jack laughed, which left Rose a bit baffled. She had no idea how long he had lived since she last saw him.

They walked through scrubland while Jack told her what happened to him Satellite 5. 'So there I was, stranded in the year two hundred one hundred, ankle deep in Dalek dust, and he goes off without me. But I had my vortex manipulator.'

Rose thought about what Jack had said. The Doctor had told her she had used the Vortex energy to turn the Daleks to dust. She must have done it just in time to save Jack from being exterminated.

'You still using that? You're brave,' the Doctor said.

Jack ignored the jibe. 'All right, so I bounced. I thought 21st century, the best place to find the Doctor, except that I got it a little wrong. Arrived in 1869, this thing burnt out, so it was useless.'

'Told you,' the Doctor said.

'I had to live through the entire twentieth century waiting for a version of you that would coincide with me.'

'Oh come on Jack. That makes you more than one hundred years old,' Rose said disbelievingly.

'And looking good, don't you think?' He winked at her. 'So I went to the time rift, based myself there because I knew you'd come back to refuel. Until finally I get a signal on this . . .' He nodded to his backpack. 'Detecting you and here we are.'

'But the thing is, how come you left him behind, Doctor?'

'I was busy.'

'No. I'm sorry Love, I don't buy that. We were friends. You don't just abandon friends, unless . . . You weren't jealous of Jack's friendship with me were you?'

'Jealous of Ja . . .' The Doctor was about to protest, when Jack cut in.

'Woah! Wind back a minute there . . . Did you just call him "Love"?'

Rose put her questions about Jack on hold. It would wait. She smiled at Jack and held up her left hand, waggling her fingers. 'He finally made an honest woman of me.'

'Hah! You guys finally got it on huh? That is . . . unbelievable. Come here.' He grabbed them both into a hug and kissed them both. 'Congratulations. When did this all happen?'

'A few months back,' Rose said. 'November 11th 1990. It was brilliant! He arranged everythin', shipped people in . . .'

'You two!' the Doctor exclaimed. Jack would think he'd gone soft the way Rose was bigging him up. 'We're at the end of the universe, all right? Right at the edge of knowledge itself and you're busy blogging! Come on.'

'Still as grumpy though,' Jack said, bumping shoulders and giving her his perfect smile.

They approached a cliff face, and looked out over a gorge that had a futuristic city built into it.

'Is that a city?' Rose asked.

'A city or a hive, or a nest, or a conglomeration. Like it was grown. But look, there. That's like pathways, roads? Must have been some sort of life, long ago,' the Doctor said.

'What killed it?' Rose wondered out loud.

'Time . . . Just time,' he said sadly. 'Everything's dying now. All the great civilizations have gone.' He looked up to the black, starless sky. 'This isn't just night. All the stars have burned up and faded away into nothing.'

'They must have an atmospheric shell. We should be frozen to death,' Jack reasoned.

'Well, Rose and I, maybe . . . Not so sure about you, Jack.' They looked at each other without speaking.

That comment, and the Doctor's reaction to Jack puzzled Rose, but she filed the question away. They needed to have a good talk about Jack later. 'What about the people? Doesn't anyone survive?'

'I suppose . . . we have to hope life will find a way,' the Doctor said a bit unconvincingly.

'Well, he's not doing too bad,' Jack said, pointing to a man running away from a crowd carrying flaming torches.

'Human!' they hear the crowd leader shout.

'Is it me, or does that look like a hunt? Come on!' the Doctor said as he ran to help. Jack and Rose ran after him.

'Oh, I've missed this,' Jack told them with a smile.

They met up with the running man ahead of the pursuing crowd.

'I've got you,' Jack said.

'They're coming! They're coming!' The man said urgently.

Jack took out his revolver and aimed it at the tribes people.

'Jack, don't you dare!' the Doctor shouted.

Jack looked back over his shoulder at the Doctor and then fired into the air to startle and warn the pursuers. They stopped in their tracks.

'What the hell are they?' Rose asked.

'There's more of them. We've got to keep going,' the man said.

'I've got a ship nearby. It's safe. It's not far, it's over there,' the Doctor told him, looking up to the top of the cliff, where more tribesmen appeared. 'Or maybe not.'

'We're close to the silo,' the man said. 'If we get to the silo, then we're safe.'

'Silo?' the Doctor said.

'Silo,' said Jack in an "I'm in" tone of voice.

'Silo for me,' Rose said, raising her hand to be counted in the vote.

Inside the Silo, the Doctor was asking a dark skinned man if they had seen the TARDIS 'It looks like a box, a big blue box. I'm sorry, but I really need it back. It's stuck out there.'

The man they had rescued was asking about his family. 'I'm sorry, but my family were heading for the silo. Did they get here? My mother is Kistane Shafe Cane. My brother's name is Beltone.'

'The computers are down but you can check the paperwork. Creet! Passenger needs help,' the dark skinned man said. A young boy appeared with a clipboard, and the man who had introduced himself as Padra Toc Shafe Cane, went to him.

'Right. What do you need?' Creet asked Padra as they started looking down a list.

'A blue box, you said,' the dark skinned man confirmed with the Doctor.

'Big, tall, wooden. Says Police.'

'We're driving out for the last water collection. I'll see what I can do.'

'Thank you.'

Creet led them through a maze of corridors, where people had set up their homes. They had put pictures of their loved ones on the wall as they slept on the floor.

'It's like a refugee camp,' Rose observed.

'Stinking,' Jack said, and a man glared at him. 'Oh, sorry. No offence. Not you.'

'Don't you see that? The ripe old smell of humans. You survived. Oh, you might have spent a million years evolving into clouds of gas, and another million as downloads, but you always revert to the same basic shape. The fundamental humans.'

'Kistane Shafe Cane?' Creet called out, searching for Padra's family.

'End of the universe and here you are. Indomitable! That's the word. Indomitable! Ha!' The Doctor put his arm around Rose's shoulders and pulled her close, kissing her head. She instinctively wrapped her arm around his waist and grinned.

As they walked past a bulkhead door with a flashing orange light, the Doctor stopped. A flashing orange light to the Doctor was like a bright light to a moth. Jack and Rose had gone on ahead, and Jack had found a handsome man to "say hello" to.

'Stop it,' the Doctor told him. 'Give us a hand with this. It's half deadlocked. I need you to overwrite the code. Let's find out where we are.'

Together, the Doctor and Jack opened the door and the Doctor nearly fell into a deep rocket silo.

'Gotcha,' Jack said as he grabbed him by his coat.

'Thanks.'

'How did you cope without me?' Jack joked.

Rose looked down, and then up. 'Now that is what I call a rocket.'

'They're not refugees, they're passengers,' the Doctor realised.

'He said they were going to Utopia,' Rose reminding them what Padra had said to the guard on the gate.

'The perfect place. Hundred trillion years, it's the same old dream. You recognise those engines?' the Doctor asked Jack.

'Nope. Whatever it is, it's not rocket science. But it's hot, though,' said Jack as they closed the door.

Boiling,' the Doctor agreed. 'But if the universe is falling apart, what does Utopia mean?'

A short, grey haired old man hurriedly approached them. 'The Doctor?' he said to Jack, and Jack pointed to the Doctor.

'That's me.'

He shook the Doctor's hand, and then started to drag him down the corridor. 'Good! Good! Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good,' the little man said excitedly.

The Doctor looked back at Rose and Jack with a bemused expression. 'It's good apparently.'

* * *

In a ramshackle laboratory the Doctor was looking at the professor's work. Rose was in the corner with chairs, a table and a drinks machine. She wondered what Jack's "Doctor detector" looked like so she had a peek in his backpack, and pulled out a transparent container with a hand in it.

'Oh, my God. You've got a hand? A hand in a jar. A hand in a jar in your bag!' Rose exclaimed disbelievingly.

'But that . . . that, that's my hand!' the Doctor declared.

'I said I had a Doctor detector,' Jack reminded him.

'Chan is this a tradition amongst your people tho?' Chanto asked with interest.

'Not on the Powell Estate it's not,' said Rose. 'What do you mean, that's your hand? Oh my God! Don't tell me that's the hand you lost in that duel with the Sycorax.'

'Er, yeah. That's the one, yeah.' He wiggled his fingers. 'Hello.'

'Might I ask, what species are you?' the professor asked.

'Time Lord, last of. Heard of them? Legend or anything? Not even a myth? Blimey, end of the universe is a bit humbling.'

'Chan it is said that I am the last of my species too tho.'

'Sorry, what was your name?'

The professor introduced the young alien to the Doctor. 'My assistant and good friend, Chantho. A survivor of the Malmooth. This was their planet, Malcassairo, before we took refuge.'

'The city outside, that was yours?' the Doctor asked.

'Chan the conglomeration died tho.'

'Conglomeration. That's what I said,' the Doctor reminded them.

'You're supposed to say sorry,' Jack informed him.

'Oh, yes. Sorry.'

'Chan most grateful tho.'

'So what about those things outside? The Beastie Boys. What are they?' asked Jack.

'We call them the Futurekind, which is a myth in itself, but it's feared they are what we will become, unless we reach Utopia,' the professor said.

'And Utopia is?' asked the Doctor.

'Oh, every human knows of Utopia. Where have you been?'

'Bit of a hermit,' the Doctor said, by way of explanation.

'A hermit with friends?' the professor queried.

'Hermits United. We meet up every ten years and swap stories about caves. It's good fun, for a hermit. So, er, Utopia?'

The professor beckoned him with his finger and showed him a display on the gravitational field navigation system. 'The call came from across the stars, over and over again. Come to Utopia. Originating from that point.'

'Where is that?' the Doctor asked.

'Oh, it's far beyond the Condensate Wilderness, out towards the Wildlands and the Dark Matter reefs, calling us in. The last of the humans scattered across the night,' said the professor.

'What do you think's out there?' the Doctor asked, because he knew there shouldn't be anything.

'We can't know. A colony, a city, some sort of haven? The Science Foundation created the Utopia Project thousands of years ago to preserve mankind, to find a way of surviving beyond the collapse of reality itself. Now perhaps they found it. Perhaps not. But it's worth a look, don't you think?'

'Oh, yes,' the Doctor agreed, continuing to talk, whilst not realising that all the professor could hear was a drum beat in his head.

Dum-dum-dum-dum, dum-dum-dum-dum, dum-dum-dum-dum, dum-dum-dum-dum.

The Doctor looked at him with concern. 'You all right?'

The professor waved away the Doctor's concern. 'Yes, I'm fine. And busy.'

'Except that rocket's not going to fly, is it? This footprint mechanism thing, it's not working.'

'We'll find a way.

'You're stuck on this planet. And you haven't told them, have you? That lot out there, they still think they're going to fly,' the Doctor said.

'Well, it's better to let them live in hope.'

'Quite right, too. And I must say, Professor er, what was it?'

'Yana.'

'Professor Yana. This new science is well beyond me, but all the same, a boost reversal circuit, in any time frame, must be a circuit which reverses the boost. So, I wonder, what would happen if I did this?' He sonicked the end of a cable and pulled. Power surged through the machines.

'Chan it's working tho!' Chanto said in amazement.

'But how did you do that?' Yana asked.

'Oh, we've been chatting away, I forgot to tell you. I'm brilliant.' They started plugging cables into sockets as the Doctor sniffed one of the cables. 'Is this?'

'Yes, gluten extract. Binds the neutralino map together,' Yana told him.

'That's food. You've built this system out of food and string and staples?' It was just the kind of thing he would do. 'Professor Yana, you're a genius.'

'Says the man who made it work.'

'Oh, it's easy coming in at the end, but you're stellar. This is . . . this is magnificent. And I don't often say that because, well . . . because of me.'

'Well, even my title is an affectation. There hasn't been such a thing as a university for over a thousand years. I've spent my life going from one refugee ship to another.'

'If you'd been born in a different time, you'd be revered. I mean it. Throughout the galaxies.'

'Oh, those damned galaxies. They had to go and collapse. Some admiration would have been nice. Yes, just a little, just once.'

'Well, you've got it now,' the Doctor said with an appreciative smile. The smile was replaced with a frown when he thought about the design.

'But that footprint engine thing. You can't activate it from onboard. It's got to be from here. You're staying behind.'

'With Chantho. She won't leave without me. Simply refuses.'

'You'd give your life so they could fly.'

'Oh, I think I'm a little too old for Utopia. Time I had some sleep.'

A voice came over the intercom. 'Professor, tell the Doctor we've found his blue box.'

'Ah!'

'Doctor?' Jack called to him, indicating a monitor that displayed the TARDIS.

'Professor, it's a wild stab in the dark, but I may just have found you a way out,' the Doctor said.

As Yana looked at the monitor, the drumming in his head started again. Dum-dum-dum-dum, dum-dum-dum-dum, dum-dum-dum-dum, dum-dum-dum-dum.

A little later, the TARDIS had been moved into the laboratory and the Doctor was dragging out a power cable.

'Extra power. Little bit of a cheat, but who's counting? Jack, you're in charge of the retro feeds.'

Rose and Chantho entered the lab. 'Oh, am I glad to see the old girl again.'

Chanto looked at Yana with concern. 'Chan Professor, are you all right tho?'

'Yes, I'm fine. I'm fine. I'm fine. Just get on with it,' he said tersely.

Jack looked over at Rose. 'Connect those circuits into the spar, same as that last lot,' he told her. 'But quicker,' he added in mock annoyance.

'Ooh, yes, sir,' she said teasingly, flashing him a smile.

The Doctor crouched down in front of Yana. 'You don't have to keep working. We can handle it.'

'It's just a headache. It's just, just noise inside my head, Doctor. Constant noise inside my head.'

'What sort of noise?'

'It's the sound of drums. More and more, as though it's getting closer.'

'When did it start?'

'Oh, I've had it all my life. Every waking hour. Still, no rest for the wicked.'

Rose started chatting to Chantho as they put the circuit boards into the rack. 'How long have you been with the professor?'

'Chan seventeen years tho.'

'Blimey. A long time.'

'Chan I adore him tho.'

'Oh right, and he . . .'

'Chan I don't think he even notices tho.'

'Tell me about it. That was like me an' him till he saw sense and asked me to marry him,' Rose said, pointing at the Doctor over her shoulder with her thumb.

'Chan but I am happy to serve tho.'

'Do you mind me askin'? Do you have to start every sentence with chan?'

'Chan yes tho.'

'And end every sentence with . . .'

'Chan tho tho.'

'What would happen if you didn't?' Rose wondered.

'Chan that would be rude tho.'

'What, like swearin'?'

'Chan indeed tho.'

This reminded Rose so much of her chat about boys with Gwyneth in the scullery in Cardiff. 'Go on, just once.'

'Chan I can't tho.'

'Oh, do it for me.'

'No.' She and Rose burst into a fit of giggles.

'Now all you need to do is connect the couplings, then we can launch,' Yana told the dark skinned man on the screen, who he had called Atillo.

Atillo disappeared from the screen. 'God sake! This equipment. Needs rebooting all the time,' Yana said in annoyance.

'Anything I can do?' Rose offered. 'I've finished that lot.'

The Professor smiled at her kindness. 'Yes, if you could. Just press the reboot key every time the picture goes.'

'Certainly, sir. Just don't ask me to do shorthand.'

Yana turned back to the screen. 'Right.'

Atillo's face returned on the screen.

'Are you still there?' Atillo asked.

'Ah, present and correct. Send your man inside,' Yana instructed.

'We'll keep the levels down from here,' Yana assured him.

Atillo opened a heavy door for a man in protective gear to go inside. 'He's inside,' he informed the professor on the screen. 'And good luck to him.'

Yana looked to Jack. 'Captain, keep the dials below the red.'

'Where is that room?' the Doctor asked, looking at the screen.

'It's underneath the rocket. Fix the couplings and the footprint can work. But the entire chamber is flooded with stet radiation, Yana told him.

The Doctor frowned. 'Stet? Never heard of it.'

'You wouldn't want to. But it's safe enough, if we can hold the radiation back from here.'

They watched the monitor which showed the man connecting up the equipment, when an alarm sounded.

'It's rising!' Yana called out. 'Naught point two. Keep it level!'

'Yes, sir,' Jack replied.

The second connection was made, when the power started to fail.

'Chan we're losing power tho!' Chanto reported.

'Radiation's rising!' the Doctor shouted urgently.

'We've lost control!' Jack told them.

'The chamber's going to flood,' Yana announced.

'Jack, override the vents!' the Doctor commanded.

Jack pulled out two power cables. 'We can jump start the override.'

'Don't! It's going to flare!' the Doctor warned him.

Power surged through Jack as he held the live ends together, and he was electrocuted. Rose cried out in horror. 'JACK! Oh my God.' She ran to him. 'I've got him.'

'Chan don't touch the cables tho.' She carefully moved the sparking cable away.

'Oh, I'm so sorry,' Yana said.

'Oh this is like the Hope Hospital again,' Rose said, as she tried to remember her CPR. She breathed twice into Jack's mouth, before starting chest compressions.

'The chamber's flooded with radiation, yes?' the Doctor asked the Professor.

Yana was explaining the hopelessness of the situation. 'Without the couplings, the engines will never start. It was all for nothing.'

Oh, I don't know,' the Doctor said. 'Rose, leave him.'

Rose was stunned. How could he be so callous about their friend? 'You've got to let me try.'

The Doctor could see how upset she was, and gently held her shoulders and eased her away from Jack's body. 'Come on, come on, just listen to me. Now leave him alone.' He turned to Yana. 'It strikes me, Professor; you've got a room which no man can enter without dying. Is that correct?'

'Yes.'

'Well . . .' he started to explain when Jack gasped and returned to life. 'I think I've got just the man.'

'Was someone kissing me?' Jack asked.

Rose was shocked at first. She didn't think people recovered from electrocution that quickly. But then her shock turned to joy. She rushed to his side and grabbed him around the neck, pulling him into a hug. 'Jack! I thought we'd lost you then.'

Jack returned the hug and gave the Doctor his perfect smile, and a cheeky wink to go with it.

The Doctor rolled his eyes, but couldn't hide the smile on his lips. 'Jack, when you two have quite finished, I've got a little job for you.'

* * *

'We lost picture when that thing flared up,' Rose told Yana and Chanto. 'Doctor, are you there?' She'd managed to get the sound back from the chamber under the rocket, but not the video.

'Receiving, yeah. He's inside,' he said, meaning Jack had entered the radiation filled chamber.

'And still alive?' Yana asked in surprise.

'Oh, yes,' he said with obvious pleasure.

'But he should evaporate. What sort of a man is he?' Professor Yana asked.

'He used to be just an ordinary bloke. Well, ordinary for Jack anyway. But now? I'm not too sure,' Rose told him.

And then she started eavesdropping on a conversation; she couldn't help it. She was, listening to a conversation between Jack and the Doctor, as Jack tried to connect the power couplings so that they could launch the rocket.

'When did you first realise?' she heard the Doctor ask Jack. She presumed he was talking about his inability to stay dead.

'Earth, 1892. Got in a fight in Ellis Island, a man shot me through the heart. Then I woke up. Thought it was kind of strange. But then it never stopped. Fell off a cliff, trampled by horses, World War One, World War Two, poison, starvation, a stray javelin.'

'Urgh,' she heard the Doctor suck in air in sympathy.

'In the end, I got the message. I'm the man who can never die. And all that time you knew.' She heard accusation and recrimination in his voice.

'That's why I left you behind. It's not easy even just looking at you, Jack, because you're wrong.' So Jack was telling the truth, the Doctor did abandon him.

'Thanks.'

'You are! I can't help it, I'm a Time Lord, it's instinct, it's in my guts. You're a fixed point in time and space. You're a fact, that's never meant to happen. Even the TARDIS reacted against you, tried to shake you off . . . flew all the way to the end of the universe just to get rid of you.'

'So what you're saying is that you're, er, prejudiced?'

'I never thought of it like that.'

'Shame on you.'

'Yeah.' She heard regret in that "yeah", as though he wasn't proud of what he'd done.

'Last thing I remember, back when I was mortal, I was facing three Daleks . . . death by extermination . . . And then I came back to life,' Rose heard Jack tell the Doctor. 'What happened?'

"Ooh, good question" thought Rose.

He answered with one word, a name that told them everything. 'Rose.'

"What did he mean by that?" Rose thought.

'I thought you'd sent her back home.'

'She came back. Opened the heart of the TARDIS and absorbed the time vortex itself.'

The Doctor had told her that she had absorbed the energy of the Time Vortex to get back to him on Satellite 5, and had used it to destroy the Daleks. He never said anything about bringing Jack back to life.

'What does that mean, exactly?' Jack asked.

'No one's ever mean to have that power, if a Time Lord did that, he'd become a god . . . a vengeful god . . . But she was human; everything she did was so human. She brought you back to life but she couldn't control it. She brought you back forever. That's something, I suppose. The final act of the Time War was life.'

'Do you think she could change me back?' Jack asked.

'I took the power out of her,' the Doctor said.

"Oh my God!" Rose realised that it was her fault that the Doctor had regenerated. He had sacrificed one of his lives to save hers.

'I went back to her estate, in the nineties, just once or twice. Watched her growing up. Never said hello. Timelines and all that.'

Rose gasped. Had she ever seen him and not known who he was? When she thought about it, she had sometimes had that feeling that someone was watching her.

The Doctor was continuing their conversation. 'Do you want to die?' he asked casually.

'Oh, this one's a little stuck,' Jack said, he must have been talking about one of the coupling controls.

'Jack?' The Doctor wanted an answer to his question.

'I thought I did . . . I don't know . . . But this lot . . . you see them out here surviving, and that's fantastic,' he said with pleasure.

'You might be out there, somewhere.'

'I could go meet myself.'

'Well, the only man you're ever going to be happy with.'

Rose snorted a laugh at that.

Jack laughed. 'This new regeneration, it's kind of cheeky,' Jack said in a flirty way.

'Hmm.' And then it was over. Jack had closed the final coupling and left the chamber, but Rose was grateful to him, because now she knew the truth; the truth of what had happened on Satellite 5.

Regeneration . . . Regeneration . . . Jack's words echoed over the drumming in Yana's head. There was something he should remember about regeneration.

Rose was trying to deflect Chanto's questions. 'I never understand half the things he says,' she fibbed. She looked at the professor. 'What's wrong?'

'Chan Professor, what is it tho?'

Yana had tears in his eyes as he gazed into the distance. 'Time travel. They say there was time travel back in the old days. I never believed. But what would I know? Stupid old man. Never could keep time. Always late, always lost. Even this thing never worked.' Yana took an ornately inscribed fob watch out of his pocket.

Rose recognised it immediately.

["Rose, this watch is me. I'm going to become human."]

'Time and time and time again. Always running out on me,' Yana continued.

'Can I have a look at that?' Rose asked, trying not to sound nervous.

'Oh, it's only an old relic. Like me.' He held it out for her to look at.

'Where did you get it?'

'Hmm? I was found with it.'

'What do you mean?'

'An orphan in the storm. I was a naked child found on the coast of the Silver Devastation. Abandoned, with only this.'

'Have you opened it?'

'Why would I? It's broken.'

'How do you know it's broken if you've never opened it?'

'It's stuck. It's old. It's not meant to be . . . I don't know.'

Rose turned the watch over and gasped as she recognised the inscriptions.

'Does it matter?'

'No,' Rose said a little too quickly. 'It's nothing. It's . . . Listen, everything's fine up here. I'm going to see if the Doctor needs me.' She needed to tell the Doctor. Why was a Time Lord hiding? It was either very good news, or very very bad.

Rose ran into the launch control room. 'Doctor, it's the Professor. He's got this watch. He's got a fob watch. It's the same as yours. Same writing on it, same everything.'

'Don't be ridiculous.'

'I asked him. He said he's had it his whole life.'

Jack looked over to them. 'So he's got the same watch.' So what?

'Yeah, but it's not a watch. It's this chameleon thing,' Rose tried to explain.

'No, no, no, it's this, this thing . . . this device, it rewrites biology. Changes a Time Lord into a human,' the Doctor explained to Jack.

'And it's the same watch!' insisted Rose.

'It can't be,' he said as an alarm sounded.

That means he could be a Time Lord. You might not be the last one,' Jack said hopefully.

'Jack, keep it level!'

'But that's brilliant, isn't it?' Rose asked him.

'Yes, it is. Course it is,' he said unconvincingly. 'Depends which one. Brilliant, fantastic, yeah. But they died, the Time Lords. All of them. They died.'

'Not if he was human,' Jack reasoned.

'What did he say, Rose? WHAT DID HE SAY?' he shouted, making her flinch. Why was he so angry?

'He looked at the watch like he could hardly see it. Like that perception filter thing.'

'What about now? Can he see it now?'

Oh yes! He could see it now.


	15. The Sound of Drums

**Author's note: (The character Darren Pye, mentioned by Rose is from the novel Winner Takes All, by Jacqueline Rayner.)**

 **Chapter 15**

 **The Sound of Drums**

WHOP!

Rose experienced the same gut wrenching twisting of her atoms from three to four dimensions and back that she had experienced at the touch of a Weeping Angel. 'Oh, my head.'

'Time travel without a capsule, that's a killer . . . argh,' the Doctor said as they staggered around in the alleyway. He headed for the street, Rose and Jack setting off after him.

'Still, at least we made it. Earth, twenty first century by the looks of it. Hah, talk about lucky,' Jack said, looking around at the architecture. Rose was hugging her stomach, struggling to keep up with the seasoned Vortex travellers.

'That wasn't luck, that was me,' the Doctor said tersely.

They found a pedestrian area, with stone seats set out for weary shoppers. Okay, they weren't shoppers, but they were weary.

'The moral is, if you're going to get stuck at the end of the universe, get stuck with an ex-Time Agent and his vortex manipulator,' Jack said light heartedly.

'But this Master bloke, he's got the TARDIS. He could be anywhere in time and space,' Rose said.

'No, he's here,' the Doctor told them. 'Trust me.'

'Who is he, anyway? And that voice at the end, that wasn't the Professor,' she said.

'If the Master's a Time Lord, then he must have regenerated,' Jack told her.

A homeless man was tapping a tin mug, begging for money, the four beat rhythm was somehow familiar to the Doctor and Rose, di di di dum, di di di dum. The Doctor instinctively knew the rhythm, and had it been a more organic sound, he would have recognised the lub dub lub dub, lub dub lub dub of his own hearts beats, as would have Rose.

'Then how are we gonna to find him?' she asked.

'I'll know him, the moment I see him. Time Lords always do.'

On a series of public screens in the pedestrian area, a newsreader was reporting on breaking news. "Mister Saxon has returned from the Palace and is greeting the crowd inside Saxon Headquarters". They watched the new Prime Minister walk down steps with his wife.

'That's him . . . he's Prime Minister!' the Doctor said, looking at the screen.

'Mister Saxon, this way, sir . . . come on, kiss for the lady, sir,' a photographer said.

'The Master is Prime Minister of Great Britain,' the Doctor repeated in disbelief. 'The Master and his wife?'

On the screen, the Master made an announcement. 'This country has been sick. This country needs healing. This country needs medicine. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that what this country really needs right now . . .' He looked at the screen, and the Doctor knew he was speaking to him. '. . . is a Doctor.'

The Doctor looked away from the screen. 'We're in trouble. We need somewhere to lay low.' Jack was on his mobile. 'Jack, who are you phoning? You can't tell anyone we're here.'

'Just some friends of mine, but there's no reply.' He was hoping they could stay at the Hub in Cardiff, but it looked like they were in trouble also.

'Hang on, it's the day after the election,' Rose realised. 'That's only a week after we cleared out my mum's flat!'

The Doctor gave her a questioning look. 'So?'

'Well, that means it will still be empty. We'll be able to stay there.'

'Oh Rose Tyler. I can see why I married you. You're brilliant!' He grabbed her into a hug and kissed her.

'Oh, you kept your maiden name then,' Jack said.

'No. It's just that my husband can't be bothered to call me Rose Lungbarrowmas.'

'Oh, all right then. Rose Lungbarrowmas, you are brilliant!' He kissed her again. 'Now, let's move.'

The Doctor "sonicked" the lock and let them into the flat.

'Didn't think I'd be back here so soon,' Rose said quietly.

'What have you got Rose? Computer, laptop, anything?' the Doctor asked her.

'There's Mickey's old computer in the spare room that we cleared out of his flat when he stayed in Pete's World.'

'Brilliant!' he replied.

Jack frowned. 'Pete's World?'

Rose smiled. 'Long story. I'll explain later.

Jack helped the Doctor set up the computer on the coffee table, while Rose made mugs of tea in the kitchen. She was grateful that they'd only taken the personal, sentimental stuff out of the flat.

'I can show you the Saxon websites. He's been around for ages,' Jack said as Rose brought through the drinks and sat next to the Doctor on the sofa.

The Doctor shook his head. 'We went flying all around the universe while he was here all the time.'

'You goin' to tell us who he is?' Rose asked as she sipped her tea.

'He's a Time Lord.'

'Er yeah. Kinda guessed that. What about the rest of it? I mean, who'd call himself the Master?' she asked as she held his hand.

'That's all you need to know,' he told her. It was obvious there was bad blood between them. 'Come on, show me Harold Saxon.'

the Saxon website had a lot of celebrity endorsements. 'I'm voting Saxon. He can tick my box any day,' Sharon Osbourne said saucily. While McFly were saying, 'vote Saxon! Go Harry!'

'I think Mister Saxon is exactly what this country needs. He's a very fine man. And he's handsome too, Ann Widdecombe said.

Jack gave a commentary when the information finally came on screen. 'Former Minister of Defence. First came to prominence when he shot down the Racnoss on Christmas Eve. Nice work, by the way,' he said to the Doctor.

'Oh, thanks.'

'But he goes back years,' Rose said as she read the information. 'He's famous. Everyone knows his story. Look. Cambridge University, Rugby blue. Won the Athletics thing. Wrote a novel, went into business, marriage, everythin'. He's got a whole life.'

'But he's got the TARDIS,' Jack reminded them. 'Maybe the Master went back in time and has been living here for decades.'

The Doctor shook his head. 'No.'

'Why not? Worked for me.'

'When he was stealing the TARDIS, the only thing I could do was fuse the coordinates. I locked them permanently. He can only travel between the year one hundred trillion and the last place the TARDIS landed. Which is right here, right now.'

'Yeah, but a little leeway?' Jack reasoned.

'Well, eighteen months, tops. The most he could have been here is eighteen months. So how has he managed all this? The Master was always sort of hypnotic, but this is on a massive scale.'

'I was going to vote for him,' Jack said.

'Really?' the Doctor and Rose asked together.

'Yeah. I liked him.'

'Why do you say that? What was his policy? What did he stand for?' asked the Doctor.

'I don't know. He always sounded good.' Jack started to tap out a rhythm with his fingers as he spoke.

Tap-tap-tap-tap, tap-tap-tap-tap.

'Like you could trust him. Just a nice guy. He spoke about. I can't really remember, but it was good. Just the sound of his voice.'

Tap-tap-tap-tap, tap-tap-tap-tap.

'What's that?' the Doctor asked with a nod at his hand.

Jack looked at the arm of the chair. 'What?'

'That,' he nodded again. 'That tapping, that rhythm. What are you doing?'

'I don't know. It's nothing. It's just, I don't know'.

A fanfare blared out from Mickey's computer and a pop up said Saxon Broadcast All Channels. Rose picked up the remote and turned on the TV.

'Our lord and master is speaking to his kingdom,' the Doctor said cynically.

The Master gave a cheeky smile as he spoke. ['Britain, Britain, Britain. What extraordinary times we've had. Just a few years ago, this world was so small. And then they came, out of the unknown, falling from the skies. You've seen it happen.']

Archive news footage accompanied his commentary. ['Big Ben destroyed. A spaceship over London. All those ghosts and metal men. The Christmas star that came to kill. Time and time again, and the government told you nothing. Well, not me. Not Harold Saxon. Because my purpose here today is to tell you this. Citizens of Great Britain, I have been contacted. A message for humanity, from beyond the stars.']

A metal sphere the size of a soccer ball floated next to the Master. ['People of the Earth, we come in peace. We bring great gifts. We bring technology and wisdom and protection. And all we ask in return is your friendship.']

The Master smiled playfully. ['Oooh, sweet. And this species has identified itself. They are called the Toclafane.']

'What?!' the Doctor exclaimed in disbelief.

['And tomorrow morning, they will appear. Not in secret, but to all of you. Diplomatic relations with a new species will begin. Tomorrow, we take our place in the universe. Every man, woman and child. Every teacher and chemist and lorry driver and farmer. Oh, I don't know, every former shop girl,'] he said deliberately to the camera, making Rose shudder.

The Doctor looked across at Rose. That was the Master telling them that he knew who Rose was. Why would he do that? The Doctor stood up and looked closely at the television and the video in the cabinet underneath.

'Doctor?' Rose asked worriedly.

He looked behind the television and saw what looked like a Hollywood film prop. It was so theatrical, it was almost cartoon. Red sticks of explosives, with a timer taped to the front of them.

'Out!' he shouted, as he grabbed Rose's hand and ran out of the flat. They ran along the walkway and just made it around the corner of the stairwell, when the front door blew out in a huge fireball.

'All right?' the Doctor asked them.

'Fine, yeah, fine,' Jack said.

'Rose?'

'Oh, yeah. Fine. I was just thinkin', I'm glad Mum and Mickey aren't here. If he knows who I am, and where I used to live, what would he have done to them?'

The Doctor pulled her into a hug and rubbed her back, before cupping her face and kissing her. 'At least we don't have to worry about them. Us on the other hand . . .'

'We'd better move,' Jack said, leading the way down the stairs.

'We need to find somewhere to hide,' the Doctor said.

'This is my hometown, I know some places from my childhood. Places I never told Mum about, because we weren't supposed to be there.'

She took the Doctor's hand again and led him and Jack across the courtyard below the burning flat. They passed the Post Office, where the Doctor used to park the TARDIS when he used to bring Rose to visit her mum. Her phone started to ring, and she reached it out of her pocket. The display said it was her best friend, Shareen.

She stopped walking and answered the phone. 'Shar! Are you okay? Look you've gotta get out of town, it's not safe. Go on holiday or somethin'. Today.'

['Not safe?'] the Master said over the phone. ['I'll have you know Rose Tyler, that crime in the city is at an all time low, what with my zero tolerance approach to criminals.']

'SAXON! Where's Shareen?' The Doctor and Jack turned and hurried back to her.

The Master ignored her question. ['Been a long time since we saw each other. Must be, what, one hundred trillion years?']

'Where's Shareen, what have you done to her?'

['No idea where the gobby little tramp is. I just had her phone confiscated,'] the Master told her.

Before Rose could give him a mouthful of Powell Estate abuse, the Doctor took her phone. 'I'm here.'

['Doctor.']

'Master.'

['I like it when you use my name.']

'You chose it. Psychiatrist's field day.'

['As you chose yours. The man who makes people better. How sanctimonious is that?']

'So, Prime Minister, then.'

['I know, it's good, isn't it?']

'Who are those creatures? Because there's no such thing as the Toclafane. It's just a made up name, like the Bogeyman.'

['Do you remember all those fairy tales about the Toclafane when we were kids? Back home. Where is it, Doctor?']

'Gone.'

['How can Gallifrey be gone?']

'It burnt.'

['And the Time Lords?']

'Dead. And the Daleks, more or less. What happened to you?'

['The Time Lords only resurrected me because they knew I'd be the perfect warrior for a Time War. I was there when the Dalek Emperor took control of the Cruciform. I saw it. I ran. I ran so far. Made myself human so they would never find me, because I was so scared.']

'I know.'

['All of them? But not you, which must mean . . .']

'I was the only one who could end it. And I tried. I did. I tried everything.'

['What did it feel like, though? Two almighty civilisations burning. Oh, tell me, how did that feel?']

'Stop it!'

['You must have been like God.']

'I've been alone ever since. But not anymore. Don't you see? All we've got is each other.'

Rose was going to protest. He wasn't alone, he'd got her, but he put his hand up to stop her. If the Master knew they were married, she would be in more danger than she was already.

['Are you asking me out on a date?']

'You could stop this right now. We could leave this planet. We can fight across the constellations, if that's what you want, but not on Earth.'

['Too late.']

'Why do you say that?'

['The drumming. Can't you hear it? I thought it would stop, but it never does. Never ever stops. Inside my head, the drumming, Doctor. The constant drumming.']

'I could help you. Please, let me help.'

['It's everywhere. Listen, listen, listen. Here come the drums. Here come the drums.']

A young man in a hoodie, lounging nearby started slapping his thighs in the rhythm.

Tap-tap-tap-tap, tap-tap-tap-tap.

'What have you done? Tell me how you've done this. What are those creatures? Tell me!'

['Oooh look. You're on TV.']

'Stop it. Answer me.'

['No, really. You're on telly. You and your little band, which by the way, is ticking every demographic box. So, congratulations on that. Look, there you are.']

The Doctor had walked over to one of the many charity shops on the Powell Estate, and saw a television in the window. The ticker on NEWS 24 said "Nationwide Hunt For Terrorist Suspects", and had their pictures.

Through the open door, he could hear the news reader. ['Known as the Captain. They are known to be armed and extremely dangerous.']

['You're public enemies number one, two and three. Oh, and you can tell handsome Jack that I've sent his little gang off on a wild goose chase to the Himalayas, so he won't be getting any help from them.']

He beckoned Jack and Rose over with a nod of his head. As they stood next to him, the live feed from a surveillance camera on the estate showed them on the news.

['Now, go on, off you go. Why not start by turning to the right?']

The Doctor turned and looked up at the camera on the side of the block of flats behind them. 'He can see us.'

He took out his sonic screwdriver and deactivated the camera.

['Oh, you public menace. Better start running. Go on, run.']

'He's got control of everything,' the Doctor told them.

'What do we do?' Rose asked him.

'We've got nowhere to go,' Jack said.

Rose looked at the Doctor imploringly. 'Doctor, what do we do?'

['Run, Doctor,'] the Master goaded. ['Run for your life!']

'We run,' he said simply.

['I said, run!']

Rose grabbed the Doctor's hand. 'C'mon, I know somewhere.'

'What about the cameras?' asked Jack.

'Hey, when you have a low life like Darren Pye livin' on the estate, it's easy.'

'Who the hell is Darren Pye?' Jack asked her.

'Local bully, hard man and petty criminal. He beat up my mum once for a winnin' lottery ticket. If you kept an eye on him, he always used to avoid gettin' caught by avoidin' the cameras.'

Jack grinned at her as they ran. 'You can take the girl out of the estate . . .'

'Oi! Are you tryin' to say I'm common?' she said with humour that she didn't feel. She was just trying to keep their spirits up.

As they ran through the estate, the Doctor tried to remember all his conversations with the professor.

'Rose, at any time, did you mention to Professor Yana that we were married?'

Rose thought about it. 'No, I don't think so. I did tell Chantho, but we were out of earshot 'cos she was swearin'. Why, is it important?'

'Yeah. At the moment he thinks you are just a travelling companion, a friend. Now, he will try and use that as leverage, but if he knows you are my wife . . . Well, he'll want to search your mind.'

'What for?'

'My name; and he won't be polite or gentle about getting it from you. Do you remember the Gallifreyan wedding vow, "The groom will now exchange that which no other may know"? The reason no other telepath can know it, is because it's like an encrypted password to my soul.'

'Oh my God!'

In an old, dark, abandoned warehouse, Rose returned with bags of fish and chips. The Doctor was sitting at an old trestle table, looking at internet feeds on Rose's super phone. Jack had got a little brazier alight, and a couple of old fashioned oil lamps were providing light.

'How was it?' Jack asked her.

'I don't think anyone saw me. It was like bein' a kid again, sneakin' around with Shareen, hoping our mum's didn't find out what we'd been up to. Anything new?' she said as she handed out the food.

'I've got this tuned to government wavelengths so we can follow what Saxon's doing,' Jack said, indicating her phone. 'Nice chips.'

'Actually, they're not bad,' the Doctor agreed.

'So, Doctor, who is he? How come the ancient society of Time Lords created a psychopath?' Jack asked.

'And what is he to you? Like a colleague or . . .' Rose wondered. He talked so little about his past life on Gallifrey.

'A friend, at first.'

'I thought you were going to say he was your secret brother or somethin',' she teased.

'You've been watching too much TV.'

'But all the legends of Gallifrey made it sound so perfect,' Jack said.

'Well, perfect to look at, maybe. And it was. It was beautiful. They used to call it the Shining World of the Seven Systems. And on the Continent of Wild Endeavour, in the Mountains of Solace and Solitude, there stood the Citadel of the Time Lords, the oldest and most mighty race in the universe, looking down on the galaxies below. Sworn never to interfere, only to watch.' His eyes had a far away look in them as he saw the Citadel in his mind's eye.

'Children of Gallifrey, taken from their families age of eight to enter the Academy . . . And some say that's when it all began. When he was a child . . . That's when the Master saw eternity. As a novice, he was taken for initiation. He stood in front of the Untempered Schism. It's a gap in the fabric of reality through which could be seen the whole of the Vortex. You stand there, eight years old, staring at the raw power of time and space, just a child. Some would be inspired . . . some would run away . . . and some would go mad. Brr.' He shuddered. 'I don't know.'

Rose reached out and held his hand. 'What about you?' she asked quietly.

He grinned at her. 'Oh, the ones that ran away . . . I never stopped.'

Jack's bracelet beeped. 'Encrypted channel with files attached. Don't recognise it.'

'Patch it through to Rose's phone,' the Doctor instructed.

Jack hesitated as he uploaded the data. 'Since we're telling stories, there's something I haven't told you.'

The Torchwood logo appeared on Rose's phone.

'You work for Torchwood,' the Doctor said in an accusing tone.

'I swear to you, it's different. It's changed. There's only half a dozen of us now.'

'Everything Torchwood did, and you're part of it?'

'My mum is stuck in another universe 'cos of them,' Rose added angrily.

'The old regime was destroyed at Canary Wharf. I rebuilt it, I changed it, and when I did that, I did it for you in your honour.'

There was an awkward silence between them before the Doctor hit the play symbol on Rose's phone.

A woman appeared, sitting at a desk. ['If I haven't returned to my desk by twenty two hundred, this file will be emailed to Torchwood. Which means if you're watching this, then I'm . . . Anyway, the Saxon files are attached. But take a look at the Archangel document. That's when it all started. When Harry Saxon became Minister in charge of launching the Archangel Network.']

'What's the Archangel Network?' the Doctor asked.

'Everyone's got it,' Jack told them as he took out his phone. 'It's a mobile phone network.'

Rose's phone showed a graphic of the Earth with orbiting satellites. 'Because look, it's gone worldwide. They've got fifteen satellites in orbit. Even the other networks, they're all carried by Archangel.'

'It's in the phones!' the Doctor exclaimed. He took out his sonic screwdriver and zapped Jack's phone. 'Oh, I said he was a hypnotist. Wait, wait, wait. Hold on.'

He tapped Jack's phone against the table, and it started beeping.

Be-be-be-beep, be-be-be-beep.

'There it is. That rhythm, it's everywhere, ticking away in the subconscious.'

Rose put a hand on the Doctor's shoulder as she looked over it. 'What is it, mind control?'

'No, no, no, no, no. It's subtler than that. Any stronger and people would question it. But contained in that rhythm, in layers of code, Vote Saxon. Believe in me. Whispering to the world,' he said.

'Oh, yes!' he exclaimed in sudden realisation. 'That's how he hid himself from me, because I should have sensed there was another Time Lord on Earth. I should have known way back. The signal cancelled him out.'

'Any way you can stop it?' Jack asked him.

'Not from down here,' he told him. 'But now we know how he's doing it.'

'And we can fight back,' Rose said hopefully.

'Oh, yes!' He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her into a kiss.

'I'm starting to feel like a gooseberry around here,' Jack said with a smirk.

'Well, wouldn't want Captain Jack to be left out of the party. Come on then, let's have a scavenge around here and see if we can come up with any discarded electronics.'

They took an oil lamp each and started scouring the warehouse. A few minutes later, Jack called out. 'I've found an old broken radio-cassette player over here. The handle's gone and the casing's split. Is that any good?'

'Has it still got circuit boards inside?' the Doctor called back.

'Yep.'

'Brilliant! Bring it back to the brazier.'

The Doctor took transistors, resistors and capacitors off the circuit board and welded them sonically to their TARDIS keys to make simple amplifiers.

'Three TARDIS keys. Three pieces of the TARDIS, all with low level perception properties because the TARDIS is designed to blend in. Well, sort of,' the Doctor explained. 'But now, the Archangel Network's got a second low level signal. Weld the key to the network and Rose, look at me. You can see me, yes?'

'Yes.'

He put the string with his key on it around his neck, and Rose found it difficult to look straight at him. 'What about now?'

Rose blinked and tried to focus on him but couldn't seem to keep her attention on him, which for her, she thought would be impossible.

'No, I'm here. Look at me,' he waved at her.

Rose drew her gaze back to him, but it drifted off him again. 'It's like I know you're there, but I don't want to know.'

He took the string from around his neck. 'And back again. See? It just shifts your perception a tiny little bit. Doesn't make us invisible, just unnoticed. Oh, I know what it's like. It's like, it's like when you fancy someone and they don't even know you exist. That's what it's like. Come on.'

'Tell me about it,' Jack said to Rose with a sigh that made her snort a laugh.

They left the warehouse and started walking down the footpath. 'Don't run, don't shout. Just keep your voice down,' the Doctor instructed. 'Draw attention to yourself and the spell is broken. Just keep to the shadows.'

'Like ghosts,' Jack said, putting the key around his neck.

'Yeah, that's what we are. Ghosts.'

With the keys around their necks, they set off into the night, stepping aside to prevent people from walking into them as they went.

* * *

WHOP! The three Tardiseers materialised in a service corridor with pipes, steam, and a round porthole.

'Oh, that thing is rough,' Rose complained.

Jack stretched his back and shook his head. 'I've had worse nights. Welcome to the Valiant.'

Rose joined her husband to look out the porthole. 'It's dawn? Hold on, I thought this was a ship. Where's the sea?'

'A ship for the twenty first century, protecting the skies of planet Earth,' he told them.

Through the porthole, they could see they were effectively on a Cloudbase, with three landing strips and a helipad. They heard an announcement over the tannoy.

['Europe now online. Awaiting confirmation from South America. And keep tracking Japan.']

They ran down a gangway to level 4, then opened a door at the end. There in amongst all of the Valiant's supplies, was the TARDIS.

'Oh, at last!' the Doctor exclaimed.

Rose nearly cried with relief. 'Oh, yes!'

'What's it doing on the Valiant?' Jack asked as they approached.

The Doctor opened the door and stepped inside. 'What the hell's he done?' Jack asked as they walked up the ramp.

'Don't touch it,' the Doctor told him.

'I'm not going to.'

Both the Doctor and Rose could feel it. The walls were lit with a red light, and the cloister bell was tolling from deep within the TARDIS. She was in pain.

'What's he done though?' Rose asked. 'Feels like she's sick.'

'It can't be. No, no, no, no, no, no, it can't be.'

'Doctor, what is it?' Rose demanded.

'He's cannibalised the TARDIS.'

Jack's time as a Time Agent gave him some insight into what the Master had done. 'Is this what I think it is?'

The Doctor nodded. 'It's a paradox machine.'

The Doctor tapped a gauge on the metal mesh around the time console. 'As soon as this hits red, it activates. At this speed, it'll trigger at two minutes past eight.'

'First contact is at eight, then two minutes later . . .' said Jack.

'What's it for?' Rose asked. 'What does a paradox machine do?'

'More important, can you stop it?'

'Not till I know what it's doing. Touch the wrong bit, blow up the solar system.'

'Then we've got to get to the Master,' Rose said.

'Yeah. How are we going to stop him?'

'Oh, I've got a way,' the Doctor told them, and then grinned. 'Sorry, didn't I mention it?'

The Doctor, Rose and Jack entered the conference room of the Valiant, where the president of the United States of America was giving an address to the world.

'For as long as man has looked at the stars, he has wondered what mysteries they hold. Now we know we are not alone.'

Jack whispered to the Doctor. 'This plan, you going to tell us?'

'If I can get this around the Master's neck, cancel out his perception, they'll see him for real. It's just hard to go unnoticed with everyone on red alert. If they stop me you've got a key.'

'Yes, sir,' Jack said

'I'll get him,' Rose told them.

President Winters was finishing his address. 'And I ask you now, I ask of the human race, to join with me in welcoming our friends. I give you the Toclafane.'

Four spheres appeared around Winters. 'My name is Arthur Coleman Winters, President Elect of the United States of America, and designated representative of the United Nations. I welcome you to the planet Earth and its associated moon.'

'You're not the Master,' a male sounding sphere said.

'We like the Mister Master,' a female sphere told him.

'We don't like you,' another male sphere said.

'I can be master, if you so wish. I will accept mastery over you, if that is God's will,' Winters said, not understanding what they were talking about.

'Man is stupid,' the second male sphere declared.

'Master is our friend,' the first male sphere said.

'Where's my Master, pretty please?' the female one asked.

The Master stood up. 'Oh, all right then. It's me. Ta da! Sorry, sorry, I have this effect. People just get obsessed. Is it the smile? Is it the aftershave? Is it the capacity to laugh at myself? I don't know. It's crazy.'

'Saxon, what are you talking about?' Winters demanded.

'I'm taking control, Uncle Sam, starting with you. Kill him.'

One of the spheres points its weapon at Winters and blasts him to pieces. People in the room went into a panic and guns were drawn. The Master laughed and applauded, before calling his ministerial guards into action.

'Nobody move! Nobody move!' the guard leader shouted.

The Master went half way up the steps and turned around. 'Now then, peoples of the Earth. Please attend carefully.'

The Doctor took off his key and tried to run forward.

'Stop him!' the lead guard commanded, and two men in black suits grabbed the Doctor by his arms.

'We meet at last, Doctor,' the Master said cheerfully. 'Oh, ho. I love saying that.'

'Stop it! Stop it now!' the Doctor shouted at him.

'As if a perception filter's going to work on me. And look, it's the girlie and the freak. Although, I'm not sure which one's which.'

Jack ran forward, but the Master zapped him with his screwdriver device.

'Laser screwdriver. Who'd have sonic? And the good thing is, he's not dead for long. I get to kill him again!' he said with glee.

'Master, just calm down. Just look at what you're doing. Just stop. If you could see yourself . . .'

The Master looked at the cameras. 'Oh, do excuse me. Little bit of personal business. Back in a minute. Let him go.'

'It's that sound. The sound in your head. What if I could help?'

'Oh, how to shut him up? I know. Memory Lane. Professor Lazarus. Remember him and his genetic manipulation device? What, did you think that little announcement on the news was coincidence? I've been laying traps for you all this time. And if I can concentrate all that Lazarus technology into one little screwdriver? But, oooh, if I only had the Doctor's biological code. Oh, wait a minute, I do.'

He ran over to a briefcase and pulled it open, to reveal the Doctor's spare hand. 'I've got his hand. And if Lazarus made himself younger, what if I reverse it? Another hundred years?'

The Master aimed his screwdriver at the Doctor, who went into rapid convulsions. Tears stung Rose's eyes as she watched her husband being tortured. Jack was lying by the side of her, when he came back to life.

'Teleport,' he whispered to her.

'I can't,' she cried.

'We can't stop him. Get out of here. Get out.'

The Master stopped zapping the Doctor, who now looked at least a hundred years old. Rose knelt beside him and cradled him, stroking his face lovingly. 'Doctor? I've got you.'

'Oh, the caring companion,' the Master said sarcastically.

The Doctor looked up at him from the floor. 'The Toclafane. What are they? Who are they?'

'Doctor, if I told you the truth, your hearts would break.'

'Is it time? Is it ready?' the male sphere asked.

'Is the machine singing?' asked the female sphere.

The Master checked his watch. 'Two minutes past.' He ran up the stairs and turned to face the cameras. 'So, Earthlings. Basically, er, end of the world. Here come the drums!'

The Rogue Trader's song "Voodoo Child" started playing as the paradox machine in the TARDIS activated. A rift appeared in the sky above the Valiant and thousands of spheres poured out.

The Master looked out of the window with excitement, and then ran up the stairs to his wife, Lucy. 'How many do you think?'

'I, I don't know,' she said, looking out through the large viewing window.

'Six billion. Down you go, kids!'

The spheres headed down to the population centres below and opened fire.

'Shall we decimate them?' the Master asked flippantly. 'That sounds good. A nice word, decimate. Remove one tenth of the population!'

Whilst the Master was distracted with the death and destruction, the Doctor whispered to Rose. 'Go! Tell the world about me. Use the countdown and get everyone to say my name, on this day, in one years time.'

She looked into his eyes, and although his body was old, the eyes were the same, fierce and defiant. He nodded at her, and as tears ran down her cheeks, she cupped his face and kissed him.

She stood up and activated Jack's vortex manipulator, disappearing in a bright light. The Doctor and Jack looked at each other, and the Doctor nodded. The Master and Lucy held up the ancient Doctor so that he could watch the slaughter.

'And so it came to pass that the human race fell, and the Earth was no more. And I looked down upon my new dominion as Master of all, and I thought it good,' said the Master.


	16. The Last of the Time Lords

**Author's note: The start of this chapter is from the novel The Story of Martha, by Dan Abnett.**

 **Chapter 16**

 **The Last of the Time Lords**

A serious sense of alarm had begun to spread on the

Operations deck of HMS Valiant. 'Yokohama/Tokyo Zone is not responding,' one operator reported.

'Power reads as down. I've got reports of rioting,' called another.

'This is bad,' said the deck officer, reviewing the reports as fast as they came in. 'This is a disaster. The guidance plants have closed down.'

'Someone will have to tell him,' suggested an aide.

'Not yet! God help us, not yet!' the deck officer exclaimed. 'He'll go ballistic! You know what he gets like when he hears bad news!'

'Shoot the messenger?' the aide said.

'He'd shoot us all,' replied the deck officer. 'Or worse. Why did this have to happen on my watch?' The aide declined to answer.

The deck officer turned to the staff manning the operation stations. 'Get me a complete picture. Full spectrum sweep, all the data you can get. Route Toclafane shoals from North Korea and Russia. Wake up UCF Taiwan and find out if they know what the hell's going on. If I've got to report bad news to him, I want it to be the full picture.'

The operations staff got to work. The air became busy with chatter and demands for info. At her desk, disturbed by the patchy, disparate data coming out of Japan, ADC Dexter jumped when her phone rang. She answered it.

'Griffin, this will have to wait,' she said. Griffin was an ex-SAS soldier who worked for the Master's Unified Containment Forces, and had been leading a team in the hunt for Rose Tyler.

'We've . . .' she tried to continue. 'What? Where are you? Say again? You're where? Slow down! Slow down, Griffin . . . Start at the beginning . . .'

When she finished the call, she saw a look on the deck officer's face as he read the reports. 'Sir?' she said.

'It's a disaster, ADC,' the deck officer said. 'The guidance plants were a vital resource, and they've gone dark. It's mayhem down there.'

'Do you want me to take this to him?' the ADC asked. The deck officer looked at the ADC as if she'd just saved his life. She probably had.

'Would you?' he asked.

The Master was standing on the bridge, in his tailored suit, gazing pensively at the world he had brought to its knees. As tyrants went, and they all went one day, he looked remarkably chipper. He looked around as the door chimed open. The ADC walked in.

'See?' he smiled. 'My day just got even better. A gorgeous young lady in uniform. Ah, the perks of power.'

'Sir,' the ADC saluted.

He hand-slid down the stair-rails to greet her, a lascivious grin on his face. 'Keep "sir"-ing me like that, and I'll promote you to queen,' he said. 'There must be somewhere that needs a queen. I'll look into it. What have you got for me? Not all bad news, I hope?'

'Some bad news, I'm afraid, sir.'

His face darkened. 'Oh dear,' he said, deflating. 'Not another food riot in Brazil. I hate it when that happens.'

'No, sir,' said the ADC cautiously. 'There's been an incident in Honshu.'

'Honshu? Japanese Honshu? I don't like the sound of that. I've got a lot of interests in Honshu. Show me.'

The ADC handed him the report. He read it over rapidly.

'The whole zone?' he asked. 'The whole zone? All of the guidance plants?'

'Yes, sir. Power has been down for sixty-four minutes, sir.'

He took a deep breath and scratched his forehead. 'I'm really going to be obliged to kill someone about this,' he said.

'I'm certain you are, sir,' the ADC said. 'There is another factor for your consideration.' She handed him another sheet of paper. 'Transcript of a phone conversation I took thirty minutes ago. I thought you'd want to see it.'

He read the sheet.

'The Drast? The Drast? Here?' he said. 'Those fortune hunting, glowy-glowy, entrepreneuring nobodies? The Drast? Did you know anything about this?'

His last remark was aimed at the wizened old man sitting in a wheelchair by the window. The wizened old man didn't reply.

'Still, the Drast?' he said, leaning back and cocking his head to one side. 'I'll teach the Drast to mess with me. Bioluminescent idiots. And I was starting to like Japan so much.' He looked at the ADC. 'Calm your pretty head,' he said. 'I'm not angry with you. Who could ever be angry with such a gorgeous thing? Summon the Toclafane swarms. I want the Drast to know, without any qualification, who's Master.'

'Yes, sir.'

He pursed his lips and chewed his jaw to and fro for a moment. 'Burn the islands,' he decided. 'Yes, burn them. We can build guidance somewhere else.'

'Yes, sir.'

He looked at the wizened old man in the wheelchair. The old man's eyes were glaring, hooded by extreme time, painfully disapproving.

'Oh come on,' he cried, enthusiastically. 'Vengeance can be so much fun!'

Rose Lungbarrowmas watched, from a container ship leaving the port of Yokohama, as Japan died. Swarms of Toclafane screamed in, unleashing laser death. The cities began to burn. Knowing that the Master's attention had turned on Japan, knowing that he would be furious about the Drast, Rose had skipped onto the first boat out, unseen, thanks to her perception filter.

She knew she couldn't be anywhere near the Master's focus. The container ship was heading for San Diego. She would make landfall in the USA in a few weeks. In her hurry to escape, Rose had left Hito, Tokami and the other volunteers to cope in the hinterlands behind Koban plant.

She had known the Master would be angry. She had known he would be vindictive. She had hoped he would send forces into seize and dismantle the Drast plant at Koban. She had underestimated his venom. She had underestimated it too much. He wasn't going to be vindictive. He was going to be genocidal.

The islands of Japan burned.

The islands were on fire. Gigantic plumes of flame gushed up out of Tokyo and Chiba. Though the ship was far out at sea, flakes of soot fluttered down onto them. For the first and only time in her year of walking, Rose allowed herself to cry. She cried for a long time.

It felt as if the whole world was made out of night. Their small boat was racing the swell against an invisible coast. The sky was starless and dark, and the sea was like black glass. The little outboard motor chugged. The enclosing night was cool, and smelled of brine and Channel breezes. The year was almost up.

She had walked the Earth, and witnessed things that she would never forget. A small, blue-white light appeared in the darkness ahead of them, tiny but stark. It was a halogen lamp, flashing once, twice; a little cold star shining on an unseen beach.

'There!' she said. Her hair was in a ponytail, but some of the sea spray damp, bedraggled strands were dangling in front of her face. In her old, habitual style, she brushed them back behind her ears.

The light began to swing, gently, from side to side. They came in through the breakers, the outboard throbbing. She felt the boat's belly scrape and rumble across the shingle. She got up and jumped out. Cold water sucked at her legs.

She looked back at the men wrangling the small boat. She couldn't see their faces. She wished she could. She ran up the beach towards the light. Her wet boots crunched over damp sand and pebbles. As she ran up the beach, she could just make out a dark skinned woman wearing black coveralls. When the woman flashed her smile, Rose knew immediately who had been sent to meet her.

'MARTHA!' They ran into an embrace, and Rose burst into tears. After a year of loneliness, the sight of an old friend was too much for her, and sobs racked her body.

'Rose! Oh Rose. You made it, you're back.' Martha Jones rubbed and patted Rose's back trying to comfort her and rub away her woes. 'I asked the resistance if I could come here to meet you. I thought a familiar face might be reassuring.' Rose continued to sob, the floodgate on 12 months of pent up emotions had been opened. 'Hey, hey, it's all right. How long since you were last in Britain?'

Rose released herself from the hug and tried to regain her composure. She wasn't going to lose it this close to her goal. She took a couple of ragged breaths. 'Three hundred and sixty five days,' she said, wiping her cheeks and sniffing. 'Sorry, it's been a long year.'

'Hey, it's okay. So what's the plan?'

Rose took a breath, composed herself, and became the cool, experienced survivor again. 'This Professor Docherty. I need to see her. Can you get me there?'

'She works in a repair shed, Nuclear Plant Seven. I can get you inside. What's all this for? What's so important about her?'

'Sorry Martha, the more you know, the more you're at risk.'

'There's a lot of people depending on you. You're a bit of a legend.'

She didn't feel like a legend. Only when she was back in the TARDIS with the Doctor would she be her half of the their legend. 'What does the legend say?'

'That you sailed the Atlantic, walked across America. That you were the only person to get out of Japan alive. Rose Tyler, they say, she's going to save the world. Bit late for that.'

They walked up the beach to a flat bed van. 'How come you can drive? Don't you get stopped?'

'Medical staff. There's no way I can take my finals now, so I started working as a doctor anyway. But that gives me a licence to travel so I can help out other the labour camps.'

Rose smiled at the irony of it. 'Great. I'm travellin' with a doctor.'

Martha saw the irony as well and laughed, before climbing in the cab, and driving away.

'Story goes that you're the only person on Earth who can kill him. That you, and you alone, can kill the Master stone dead.'

'Let's just drive.' She really didn't want to go into that.

They arrived at a Quarry, and they saw a giant statue of the Master standing above the rocks. They climbed up the scree covered slope to the top, and looked over a plain covered with rows of rockets for as far as the eye could see.

'All over the Earth, those things. He's even carved himself into Mount Rushmore,' Rose told her.

'Best to keep down,' Martha said. 'Here we go. The entire south coast of England, converted into shipyards. They bring in slave labour every morning. Break up cars, houses, anything, just for the metal. Building a fleet out of scrap.'

'You should see Russia. That's Shipyard Number One. All the way from the Black Sea to the Bering Strait, there's a hundred thousand rockets getting ready for war.'

'War? With who?'

'The rest of the universe. There's a thousand different civilisations all around us with no idea of what's happening here. The Master can build weapons big enough to devastate them all.'

Two spheres flew in from behind the statue. 'Identify, little woman.'

'I've got a licence. Martha Jones, Peripatetic Medical Squad. I'm allowed to travel. I was just checking for . . .'

'Soon the rockets will fly, and everyone will need medicine. You'll be so busy,' one of the spheres said before they both flew off to the shipyard, laughing as they went.

'But they didn't see you,' Martha said in amazement.

'How do you think I travelled the world?' Rose said, taking out her TARDIS key with the amplifier connected to it.

They climbed back down the slope, back towards the van. 'Because the Master set up Archangel, that mobile network, fifteen satellites around the planet, but really it's transmitting this low level psychic field. That's how everyone got hypnotised into thinking he was Harold Saxon.'

'Saxon. Feels like years ago.'

'But the key's tuned in to the same frequency. Makes me sort of not invisible, just unnoticeable.'

'Well, I can see you.'

'That's because you know me and you wanted to see me.'

'Yeah, I suppose I did.'

'Is there a Mr Jones yet?' Rose asked, trying to rebuild their friendship with idle gossip.

'No. No. What about you, have you and the Doctor yet . . ?' she asked, remembering that Elizabeth the first had called her the Doctor's wife.

Rose had a sad, longing expression as she thought about her husband. She wanted to tell Martha, but she remembered the Doctor's warning. "At the moment he thinks you are just a traveling companion, a friend, but if he knows you are my wife . . . Well, he'll want to search your mind, and he won't be polite or gentle."

'No. I love him to bits, but he's still a bit of a bloke . . . an alien bloke at that.' That made them laugh, and it felt good to be able to laugh again. 'Come on, I've got to find this Docherty woman.'

'We'll have to wait until the next work shift. What time is it now?'

'It's nearly three o'clock.'

Martha cut a gap in the shipyard's chain link fence, and they ran to a building where an older woman was thumping a cathode ray tube in frustration.

'Professor Docherty?' Martha asked.

'Busy,' Docherty said tersely.

'They, er, they sent word ahead. I'm Martha Jones. This is Rose Tyler.'

'She can be the Queen of Sheba for all I care. I'm still busy.'

'Televisions don't work anymore,' Rose told her.

'Oh God, I miss Countdown. Never been the same since Des took over. Both Deses. What's the plural for Des? Desi? Deseen? But we've been told there's going to be a transmission from the man himself.' As she spoke, a static-ridden black and white image appeared on the screen. 'There!'

'My people,' the Master said on the screen. 'Salutations on this, the eve of war. Lovely woman. But I know there's all sorts of whispers down there. Stories of a child, walking the Earth, giving you hope. But I ask you, how much hope has this man got?' The camera focussed on the ancient Doctor sitting in a wheelchair. 'Say hello, Gandalf. Except he's not that old, but he's an alien with a much greater lifespan than you stunted little apes. But what if it showed? What if I suspend your capacity to regenerate? All nine hundred years of your life, Doctor. What if we could see them?'

The Master retuned his screwdriver and zapped the Doctor again. He started to convulse, as he had done when the Master did it the first time. 'Older and older and older. Down you go, Doctor. Down, down, down the years.'

Rose watched with tears rolling down her cheeks. She was reminded of the time he used the Chameleon Arch. Finally the convulsions ended, and the Doctor was no longer sitting in the wheelchair.

'Doctor?' the Master said, looking at his empty suit. A tiny creature with big eyes, rather Gollum-like, peered out from the otherwise empty clothes.

Close up, the Master looked into the camera. 'Received and understood, Miss Tyler?' The broadcast ended abruptly.

Rose was in tears. Martha put an arm around her shoulders to try and comfort her. 'I'm sorry.'

Rose wiped her eyes and smiled. 'The Doctor's still alive.'

'Obviously the Archangel Network would seem to be the Master's greatest weakness. Fifteen satellites all around the Earth, still transmitting. That's why there's so little resistance. It's broadcasting a telepathic signal that keeps people scared,' Docherty reasoned.

'We could just take them out,' suggested Martha.

'We could,' Docherty agreed, 'Fifteen ground to air missiles. You got any on you? Besides, any military action, the Toclafane descend.'

'They're not called Toclafane,' Rose told them. 'That's a name the Master made up.'

'Then what are they, then?' asked Docherty.

Rose gave the professor a deliberate stare. 'That's why I came to find you. Know your enemy,' she said with a hint of mystery in her voice. 'I've got this.' She took a CD out of her pocket. 'No one's been able to look at a sphere close up. They can't even be damaged, except once. The lightning strike in South Africa brought one of them down, just by chance. I've got the readings on this.'

Docherty put the disc into her computer, and thumped it as it struggled to read the data. 'Oh, whoever thought we'd miss Bill Gates.'

'So is that why you travelled the world? To find a disc?' Martha asked her.

'Nah, just got lucky.'

'I heard stories that you walked the Earth to find a way to build a weapon,' Docherty said, perpetuating the rumour that was started by Brigadier Erik Calvin, a UNIT commander in Turkey. 'There! A current of fifty eight point five kiloamperes transferred charge of five hundred and ten megajoules precisely.'

'Can you recreate that?' Martha asked, seeing a glimmer of hope at long last.

'I think so. Easily. Yes.'

'Right then, Doctor Jones, we're going to get us a sphere,' Rose said.

Outside between the buildings of the shipyard, Martha fired a gun three times, and a sphere started to chase her. Rose was looking around the corner, waiting for Martha. When she saw her, she started to run.

'She's coming. You ready?' she asked Docherty.

'You do your job, I'll do mine!'

Martha ran between two electrified posts rigged between two buildings. 'Now!'

The sphere got caught in an electrical field set up across the narrow passageway, and after a few moments, it dropped to the ground.

'That's only half the job,' Docherty said. 'Let's find out what's inside.

They took the sphere back to Docherty's workshop, and the professor started to try and open it with a narrow ended tool. 'There's some sort of magnetic clamp,' Docherty told them. 'Hold on, I'll just trip the . . .'

There was a click and a hiss. The professor put down the tool, and started to peel back the four quarters of the top of the sphere like petals on a flower.

'Oh my God!' she exclaimed.

Rose and Martha moved around to get a better look. Inside the sphere, they saw a tiny wizened head with an electronic device clamped over its nose and mouth, and various tubes, wires and implants fitted to its face.

It suddenly opened its eyes, making them jump back. 'It's alive,' Docherty gasped.

'Rose. Rose Tyler?' the tiny head's electronic voice said.

'It knows you,' said Martha.

'Sweet, kind Rose Tyler. You helped us to fly.'

Rose looked puzzled. 'What do you mean?'

'You led us to salvation.'

What the hell? 'Who are you?' Rose asked it.

'The skies are made of diamonds,' it said cryptically.

Rose gasped and looked at it in horror. 'No. You can't be him.' She remembered a young boy on Malcassairo telling her that exact same thing.

'We share each other's memories. You sent him to Utopia.'

'Oh, my God.'

'What's it talking about? What's it mean?' Martha asked.

'What are they?' asked Docherty.

Martha looked at Rose imploringly. 'Rose . . . Rose, tell us. What are they?'

Rose looked at them, her eyes full of sadness and regret. 'They're us . . . They're humans. The human race from the future. I'd sort of worked it out with the paradox machine, because the Doctor said, on the day before the Master came to power, he said the Master had the Tardis, this time machine, but the only other place he could go was the end of the universe, so he found Utopia. The Utopia Project was the last hope. Trying to find a way to escape the end of everythin'.'

'There was no solution, no diamonds. Just the dark and the cold,' the sphere said. 'But then the Master came with his wonderful time machine to bring us back home.'

'But that's a paradox,' the professor said. 'If you're the future of the human race, and you've come back to murder your ancestors, you should cancel yourselves out. You shouldn't exist.'

'And that's the paradox machine,' Rose explained.

But what about us? We're the same species. Why do you kill so many of us?' Martha asked.

'Because it's fun!' the sphere said with a laugh.

That was too much for Martha. She took out her pistol and put a bullet in the head. Let it laugh at that.

'MARTHA!' Rose exclaimed in surprise. What was a doctor doing, killing people?

Martha looked at her with cold eyes. 'Just getting rid of vermin,' she spat. 'They slaughtered six million people in Britain alone . . . including my family.'

Tears stung Rose's eyes. 'I'm sorry.'

'I need a cup of tea,' Docherty said, and went through to her room where she put some water to boil on the stove.

Rose looked at her in amazement. 'Oh, I haven't had a cup of tea for nearly a year. Where did you get it?'

'One of the perks of being a medic,' Martha told her.

Docherty sat in a comfy chair with her mug. 'I think it's time we had the truth, Miss Tyler. The legend says you've travelled the world to find a way of killing the Master. Tell us, is it true?'

Rose sat on the professor's cot and took a case out of her backpack. 'Just before I escaped, the Doctor told me. The Doctor and the Master, they've been coming to Earth for years. And they've been watched. There's UNIT and Torchwood, all studying Time Lords in secret. And they made this, the ultimate defence.'

Rose opened the case and revealed a gun-like device that had been made for her by Brigadier Erik Calvin in Turkey. it had a squeeze trigger and four small cylinders along the top. She also had three vials of coloured liquid.

Martha took out her pistol. 'All you need to do is get close. I can shoot the Master dead with this.'

Docherty put a hand on Martha's wrist and lowered the gun. 'Actually, you can put that down now, thank you very much.'

Rose had to agree. Like her husband, she didn't like guns. She had seen horrors beyond her wildest imagination on her travels. 600,000,000 people around the world had been slaughtered by the spheres, and those who were unfortunate enough to survive were slowly worked to death in the labour camps.

But still she believed that killing the perpetrator was not the answer, the Doctor had taught her that much. She wondered what horrors Martha had seen that had made her so keen to kill.

'Point is,' Rose continued. 'It's not so easy to kill a Time Lord. They can regenerate. Literally bring themselves back to life.'

'Ah, the Master's immortal. Wonderful,' Docherty said sarcastically.

'Except for this. Four chemicals, slotted into the gun. Inject him. Kills a Time Lord permanently.'

'Four chemicals? You've only got three,' Martha observed.

'Still need the last one, because the components of this gun were kept safe, scattered across the world, and I found them. San Diego, Beijing, Budapest and London.'

'Then where is it?' asked Martha.

'There's an old UNIT base, north London. I've found the access codes. Martha, you've got to get me there.'

They stood up and started to prepare to move out. 'We can't get across London in the dark. It's full of wild dogs. We'll get eaten alive. We can wait till the morning, then go with the medical convoy,' Martha said.

'You can spend the night here, if you like,' Docherty offered.

'No, we can get halfway, stay at the slave quarters in Bexley.' Martha kissed Docherty's cheek. 'Professor, thank you.'

'And you. Good luck.'

'Thanks,' Rose replied, kissing her cheek, and heading for the door.

'Rose,' Docherty called to her. Rose turned. 'Could you do it? Could you actually kill him?'

'I've got no choice.'

'You might be many things, but you don't look like a killer to me.'

'Looks can be deceiving,' Rose said in a level tone, giving her the same deliberate stare. 'I've killed a whole species before now.'

She turned around and left the workshop with Martha.


	17. The Last Time Lord

**Author's note:**

 **So, here it is, the last chapter.  
A big thank you to everyone who read my story. (It surprised me how popular it was)  
Another big thank you to everyone who left kudos. I find it really encouraging, and it tells me I'm staying on the right track.  
And a really big thank you to everyone who left comments and feed back. Your enthusiasm and encouragement give me ideas and help me to edit the chapters.**

 **Chapter 17**

 **The Last Time Lord**

Martha and Rose dodged patrols as they made their way through Bexley to a run down street in the slave quarters, where they knocked on a door. 'Let me in. It's Jones.'

They entered the terraced house, and found it full of scruffy, unwashed people. 'Did you bring food?' a woman asked.

Martha shook her head. 'Couldn't get any, and I'm starving.'

'All we've got is water,' the woman told her.

'I'm sorry,' Rose said, feeling helpless.

'It's cheaper than building barracks,' Martha said. 'Pack them in, a hundred in each house, ferry them off to the shipyards every morning.'

There was a teenage boy sitting on the stairs, looking intently at them. 'Are you Rose Tyler?'

Rose smiled. 'Yeah, that's me.'

'Can you do it? Can you kill him? They said you can kill the Master, can you? Tell us you can do it. Please, tell us you can do it,' the boy pleaded.

Before Rose could answer, another woman spoke. 'Who is the Master?' There was a babble of voices wanting information.

'Come on, just leave her alone,' Martha said. 'She's exhausted.'

Rose smiled at the way Martha's was mothering her. 'No, it's all right. They want me to talk, and I will.' She sat on the stairs, and started to tell them what they needed to know. 'I travelled across the world, from the ruins of New York to the fusion mills of China, right across the radiation pits of Europe. And everywhere I went, I saw people just like you, livin' as slaves.' The house was silent, hanging on her every word.

'But if Rose Tyler became a legend, then that's wrong, because my name isn't important. There's someone else. The man who sent me out there. The man who told me to walk the Earth. And his name is the Doctor. He has saved your lives so many times, and you never even knew he was there. He never stops. He never stays. He never asks to be thanked. But I've seen him . . . I know him . . . I love him. And I know what he can do.'

A panicked woman hurried through the front door, breaking the spell. 'It's him! It's him! Oh my God, it's him! It's the Master. He's here.'

'But he never comes to Earth,' the teenager said. 'He never walks upon the ground.'

'Hide her!' the woman said, looking at Rose.

Martha picked up an old sack. 'Use this.' Rose lay down on the stairs with the sack over her, while outside, the Master was accompanied by armed guards and spheres. Martha readied her gun by the letter box.

'He walks among us, our lord and master,' the teenager said.

'Rose. Rose Tyler,' the Master called in a sing-song voice. 'I can see you! Out you come, little girl. Come and meet your master. Anybody? Nobody? No? Nothing?' He stopped in the middle of the road.

'Positions,' he ordered, and his troops assumed an attack position. 'I'll give the order unless you surrender. Ask yourself . . . What would the Doctor do?

Rose took off the Tardis key and went to the door. She lowered Martha's gun and stepped outside.

'Oh, yes. Oh, very well done. Good girl. He trained you well. Bag. Give me the bag,' he ordered. Rose took a step forward. 'No, stay there. Just throw it.'

She threw her backpack towards the Master, who took out his laser screwdriver and fired at it, blowing it up.

'And now, good companion, your work is done.' He pointed his laser at Rose, and she closed her eyes. So this was it. She just hoped she'd done enough, because now, she would never know.

Martha ran out of the house pointing her pistol at the Master. 'NO!'

'MARTHA! NO!' Rose put her hands to her mouth in horror as the Master killed Martha in a blaze of yellow light, laughing as he did.

'But you, when you die, the Doctor should be witness, hmm? Almost dawn, Rose, and planet Earth marches to war.'

* * *

On the flight deck of the Valiant, at the top of the stairs, the Master addressed the camera. 'Citizens of Earth, rejoice and observe.'

Guards brought Rose in to join Jack who was being held at gun point. She looked at the Doctor, locked in a birdcage, and she nearly lost it. What had that bastard done to the man she loved?

'Your teleport device, in case you thought I'd forgotten,' the Master said to Rose. She took it off her wrist and threw it at him.

'And now, kneel. Down below, the fleet is ready to launch. Two hundred thousand ships set to burn across the universe. Are we ready?'

'The fleet awaits your signal,' a man told him. 'Rejoice!'

'Three minutes to align the black hole converters. Counting down. I never could resist a ticking clock. My children, are you ready?'

The voice of the spheres came out of the speakers. ['We will fly and blaze and slice. We will fly and blaze and slice.']

'At zero, to mark this day, the child Rose Tyler, will die,' the Master said. 'My first blood. Any last words?' Rose glared at him. 'No? Such a disappointment, this one. For a companion who could absorb the time vortex, she's useless.'

He came halfway down the stairs. 'Bow your head,' he commanded her, but she continued to glare at him defiantly. 'And so it falls to me, as Master of all, to establish from this day, a new order of Time Lords. From this day forward . . .'

Rose started to quietly laugh.

'What. What's so funny?'

'A gun.'

'What about it?'

'A gun in four parts?'

'Yes, and I destroyed it.'

'A gun in four parts scattered across the world? I mean, come on, did you really believe that?'

'What do you mean?'

'As if I would ask her to kill,' the Doctor said quietly from his birdcage.

'Oh well, it doesn't matter. I've got her exactly where I want her.'

'No!' She said with fire and ice in her voice. 'You have brought me exactly where I want to be, where I should be . . .' She would deny the Doctor no longer. 'By my husband's side.'

'Husband?' the Master said, stunned.

'Yes, you heard me. My husband. I knew what Professor Docherty would do. The Resistance knew about her son. I told her about the gun, so she'd get me here at the right time.'

He gave her a boyish smile. 'Oh you little minx.' He looked at the Doctor in his cage. 'You were wise to keep that from me. Oh well, too late to do anything with her now.' Turning back to Rose, he pulled a pretend sad face. 'I'm afraid you're still going to die, Doctor's wife.'

Oh what he could have done to the Doctor if he'd known they were married. He wouldn't have needed to use his laser screwdriver; he could have raped her mind and found the key to the Doctor's mind.

'Don't you want to know what I was doin', travellin' the world?' Rose asked, almost teasing him.

'Tell me.'

'I told a story, that's all. No weapons, just words. I'm a good and dutiful wife. I did just what my husband told me to do. I went across the continents all on my own. And everywhere I went, I found the people, and I told them my story. I told them about the Doctor. And I told them to pass it on, to spread the word so that everyone would know about the Doctor.'

'Faith and hope? Is that all?' the Master scoffed.

'No, because I gave them an instruction, just as the Doctor said.' She stood up defiantly. 'I told them that if everyone thinks of one word, at one specific time . . .'

'Nothing will happen,' he told her. 'Is that your weapon? Prayer?'

But Rose ignored him. 'Right across the world, one word, just one thought at one moment but with fifteen satellites.'

'What?' The Master was suddenly aware that something was wrong.

'The Archangel Network,' Jack said.

'A telepathic field bindin' the whole human race together, with all of them, every single person on Earth, thinkin' the same thing at the same time. And that word is . . . Doctor.'

As the rocket countdown reached zero, the Doctor and his cage started to glow.

'Stop it. No, no, no, no, you don't.'

'Doctor. Doctor,' Jack chanted.

Staff and servants who had been bullied and threatened to serve the Master started to chant. 'Doctor. Doctor'

'Don't,' the Master protested.

On the monitor, crowds across the globe started chanting 'Doctor. Doctor. Doctor.'

'Stop this right now. Stop it!' he demanded.

His wife Lucy chanted. 'Doctor.'

Rose grinned and chanted. 'Doctor.'

The Doctor was surrounded by an ethereal light, and was slowly transforming back to his original form, much to the delight of his wife. His voice reverberated in their heads. 'I've had a whole year to tune myself into the psychic network and integrate with its matrices.'

'I order you to stop!' The Master was starting to sound like a spoilt child.

'Doctor. Doctor. Doctor. Doctor.'

The Doctor was restored to his former (and what Rose considered foxy) glory, and held out his arms as he rose into the air. 'The one thing you can't do. Stop them thinking. Tell me the human race is degenerate now, when they can do this.'

Rose ran to Jack and hugged him.

'NO!' the Master shouted. He fired his laser screwdriver at the Doctor, but the ethereal light that was still around him absorbed the energy.

'I'm sorry. I'm so sorry,' the Doctor said.

'Then I'll kill her,' he raged, pointing the laser at Rose.

The Doctor stretched out his hand and the screwdriver flew from the Master's hand.

'You can't do this. You can't do it. It's not fair!'

'And you know what happens now.'

'No! No! No! No!'

The Doctor floated towards the Master. 'You wouldn't listen.'

'No!'

'Because you know what I'm going to say.'

'No.'

The Master curled into a ball in the corner. The Doctor put his arms around him. 'I forgive you.'

'My children,' the Master said, calling to the spheres.

In orbit around the Earth, the spheres started to descend. 'Protect the paradox. Protect the paradox. Protect the paradox.'

The Doctor stood urgently. 'Captain, the paradox machine!'

'You men, with me!' he said to the guards who had previously been his gaolers. He turned to Rose. 'You stay here.'

The Doctor spotted the Master activating the manipulator, and grabbed it. 'No!' They disappeared in a flash of light.

'NO!' Rose shouted. She'd only just got the Doctor back, and now he'd gone again. She went over to the control centre and looked at the display. 'We've all six billion spheres heading right for us.'

Jack and the guards found three spheres guarding the TARDIS, so they started shooting at them. 'Can't get in. We'd get slaughtered,' one of the guards said.

'Yeah. Happens to me a lot,' Jack said with a smirk and went in alone. He managed to get inside the TARDIS and empty his machine gun clip into the paradox machine, causing it to explode.

The Master and the Doctor ended up in the quarry next to the shipyard where the rockets were lined up waiting to be launched.

'Now it ends, Doctor. Now it ends.' There was a roll of thunder, and sirens sounded in the shipyard.

'We've got control of the Valiant. You can't launch.'

'Oh, but I've got this. Black hole converter inside every ship. If I can't have this world, Doctor, then neither can you. We shall stand upon this Earth together, as it burns.'

'Weapon after weapon after weapon. All you do is talk and talk and talk. But over all these years and all these disasters, I've always had the greatest secret of them all. I know you. Explode those ships, you kill yourself. That's the one thing you can never do. Give that to me.'

The Master handed over the black hole converter trigger, and the ground started to shake. The Doctor and the Master struggled for the vortex manipulator, and they disappeared together.

The spheres disappeared and the Valiant shook. Papers flew everywhere, and Rose was thrown into the recently teleported Doctor's arms.

'Hmm, that's more like it,' she said with a grin.'

He kissed her quickly on the lips. 'Everyone get down! Time is reversing!'

The Master held onto some railings, while, the winds of time created havoc and panic on the ground, until finally the people, the rockets and the statues disappeared. Calm returned and a red bus drove around Piccadilly Circus.

'The paradox is broken,' the Doctor announced. 'We've reverted back, one year and one day. Two minutes past eight in the morning.

'This is UNIT Central. What's happened up there? We just saw the President assassinated,' a voice called out from the speakers.

'Just after the President was killed, but just before the spheres arrived. Everything back to normal. Planet Earth restored. None of it happened. The rockets, the terror. It never was.'

'What about the spheres?' Rose asked him.

'Trapped at the end of the universe.'

'But I can remember it.'

'We're at the eye of the storm. The only ones who'll ever know.'

The Master made a break for the door just as Jack was entering. 'Whoa, big fella! You don't want to miss the party.' He grabbed the Master by his arms. 'Cuffs,' he said to one of the guards, and secured his hands behind his back. 'So, what do we do with this one?'

'We kill him,' the ADC said.

'We execute him,' the deck officer said.

'No, that's not the solution,' the Doctor told them.

The ADC aimed her pistol at the Master. 'Oh, I think so. Because all those things, they still happened because of him. The orders he gave out. The reports we got back, I saw them.'

'Go on,' the Master goaded her. 'Do it.'

'Aide-de-camp Dexter, you're better than him.' The Doctor got Dexter to lower the gun and he hugged her, and then handed her off to Rose.

'You still haven't answered the question. What happens to me?' the Master asked.

'You're my responsibility from now on. The only Time Lord left in existence.'

'Yeah, but you can't trust him,' Jack said.

'No. The only safe place for him is the TARDIS.'

'You mean you're just going to keep me?'

'Mmm. If that's what I have to do. It's time to change.' He looked over at Rose. 'Maybe I've been wandering for too long. I've got a wife, and now I've got a long lost relative. A sort of black sheep of the family that's come back to the fold.'

'Oh great. I'm going to be a house guest of Posh and Becks!' the Master said sarcastically.

Shots rang out, and the Master fell into the Doctor's arms. Lucy was standing there with a pistol in her hand.

'Put it down,' Jack said cautiously.

The Doctor lowered the Master to the floor. 'There you go. I've got you. I've got you.'

'Always the women.'

'I didn't see her.'

'Dying in your arms. Happy now?'

'You're not dying. Don't be stupid. It's only a bullet. Just regenerate.'

'No.'

'One little bullet. Come on.'

'I guess you don't know me so well. I refuse.'

'Regenerate. Just regenerate. Please. Please! Just regenerate. Come on.'

'And spend the rest of my life imprisoned with you?'

'You've got to. Come on. It can't end like this. You and me, all the things we've done. Axons. Remember the Axons? And the Daleks. We're the only two left. There's no one else. Regenerate!'

'How about that. I win. Will it stop, Doctor? The drumming. Will it stop?' the Master asked him before his eyes closed, and his body slumped in the Doctor's grip.

'NO!' he cried out in despair.

Rose knelt beside him and put her arm around his shoulders. He turned and hugged her, tears trickling down his cheeks. She didn't know what to say to console him. Okay, she'd lost her mum and Mickey, but she still had her friends and other humans to turn to. The Doctor had no one of his race to turn to.

'There, there Love. It'll be all right,' she said, feeling useless.

'For a while there, it wasn't just me,' he said through his sobs.

'Hey, come on,' Rose said, crying herself and rubbing his back. 'Remember what you told me? We've got each other.'

He looked up at her and pulled her into a passionate kiss. It was the first kiss they had shared for the last 8,760 hours, and it said everything. It said they had missed each other for the last 365 days. It said they had needed each other for the last 52 weeks, and it said that they loved each other, not just for the last 12 months, but forever.

* * *

Rose handed over the money and picked up the bouquet of flowers off the counter. She stepped outside, took a deep breath, taking in the fragrance of the blooms, and looked up to the sky with a sigh. If only she could have been one of the six billion people for whom the last year had never happened.

She found her way to the nearby park where the Doctor said Professor Alison Docherty would be, and found her walking along the path. She ran up to her and presented the flowers for her to take.

'Just to say, I don't blame you,' Rose said, not that she could blame her for anything now, it had never happened.

'But who are you?' The Professor asked in confusion.

She left the baffled Professor, and walked back to the TARDIS, where the Doctor and Jack were waiting for her. They were still helping the TARDIS to fix the damage that the paradox machine had caused, and glanced at her as she walked up the ramp.

'And was the Professor completely clueless?' The Doctor asked her with a knowing smile.

'Yeah,' she said with a lopsided smile. 'But it made me feel better.'

The Doctor gave a single laugh. 'It reminds me of when we first met Martha and I took my tie off in front of her in the street . . . she must have thought we were nutters.'

Rose laughed as well and looked at Jack. 'Yeah, and she was right.'

They all laughed; it was good to laugh again after the year of hell that they'd been through.

'Right then, a quick stop off at the Rift for a top up, and then we can be on our way.' He started the time rotor, and moved around the console adjusting the settings. The paradox machine had been drawing energy from the TARDIS while it allowed the future and the present to coexist, and now she needed to regain that lost energy.

The TARDIS landed next to the cascading water feature where it normally parked, and they stepped out onto Roald Dahl Plass. The sky was cloudy, but it was warm and bright, they could hear the Herring Gulls in the bay.

'Come on, let's go, and grab some lunch in that restaurant out on the jetty,' Jack said. 'I'm buying.'

Rose linked arms with both of them, and they strolled down the Plass, and right onto Mermaid Quay, following it around to the short jetty, which they walked along and into the restaurant.

'This takes me back a bit,' Jack said as they looked at the menu.

'Yeah,' Rose said absently, lost in her memories as she thought about Mickey, and then her mum.

'And who'd have thought that when returned here, we'd be husband and wife,' the Doctor said, bringing her out of her melancholy mood.

'I would!' Jack said with his perfect smile, and they all laughed.

When they had eaten their lunches, Jack paid the bill, and they wandered back towards the Plass, and the waiting TARDIS. They stood by the red brick Pierhead Building, leaning on the railing, and looking at all the people in the Plass, going about their daily business, getting on with their lives.

'Time was, every single one of these people knew our name . . . now they've all forgotten us,' Rose said sadly, there would be no recognition of what they'd done for them, the risks they'd taken, the sacrifices they'd made.

'Good,' the Doctor said simply, sounding relieved. He couldn't travel like he did if everyone knew who he was.

'Back to work,' Jack said suddenly, climbing through the railing.

'I really don't mind, though . . . come with me,' the Doctor said softly to his old friend. He was becoming desensitised to his "wrongness", and he wouldn't mind travelling with Jack again, they could reminisce about old times.

'I had plenty of time to think that past year . . . the year that never was.' He looked over to the secret entrance to Torchwood Three, the last remaining outpost of the institute. 'And I kept thinking about that team of mine.' He looked back at them. 'Like you said, Doctor, responsibility.'

'Defending the Earth . . . can't argue with that,' he said. Jack had told him in the warehouse that the old Torchwood had gone, there were only a handful of them now, and he'd rebuilt it in his honour.

The Doctor grabbed Jack's arm and exposed the Vortex manipulator on his wrist. He took out his sonic screwdriver and disabled it.

'Hey, I need that,' Jack protested.

'I can't have you walking around with a time travelling teleport. You could go anywhere . . . twice,' he told him. 'The second time to apologise.' Rose snorted a laugh at that.

'And what about me? Can you fix that? Will I ever be able to die?' Jack asked in desperation.

'Nothing I can do. You're an impossible thing, Jack.'

Jack laughed and gave him that perfect smile. 'Been called that before.' He turned and took a few steps, before turning and saluting them. 'Sir.'

The Doctor touched his forelock. Jack winked at Rose. 'Ma'am.' She gave him a wave and smiled.

He took another step and turned again. 'But I keep wondering . . . what about ageing? 'Cos I can't die but I keep getting older. The odd little grey hair, you know?' he said pointing towards his head. 'What happens if I live for a million years?'

'I really don't know,' the Doctor drawled with humour.

Jack laughed 'Okay, vanity. Sorry . . . yeah, can't help it. Used to be a poster boy when I was a kid living on the Boeshane Peninsula. Tiny little place. I was the first one EVER to be signed up for the Time Agency. They were so proud of me. The Face of Boe, they called me, hah!' He had a melancholy air about him now. 'I'll see you.'

He finally turned and headed off towards Torchwood's secret entrance. Rose touched the Doctor's arm, a look of amazement on her face.

'No,' he said.

'It can't be,' she said as they watched the retreating figure of Jack Harkness.

'No. Definitely not. No.' Rose started laughing. 'No,' he said again, and started laughing himself. It all made perfect sense now.

'Come on, the TARDIS should have a full charge now.'

They entered the TARDIS, walking up the ramp; the Doctor threw his coat over the coral. He silently looked at the console, the time rotor, and around the domed, vaulted ceiling. Rose's arms came around his chest and she hugged him from behind, resting her head in between his shoulders.

'Right then, off we go. The open road,' he said, turning in her embrace to face her. 'There is a burst of star fire right now over the coast of Meta Sigmafolio. Oh, the sky is like oil on water, fancy a look?'

'Mmmm, sounds brilliant,' she said, unbuttoning his blue jacket and slipping it off his shoulders. 'I'll put it on the "to do" list on the fridge.'

'Oh, right,' he said, clearing his throat. 'Or back in time, we could, I don't know, Charles the Second?'

'Yeah, we could,' she said sensually, unfastening his tie and using it to pull him into a kiss.

'Mmmm, Henry the Eighth?' he mumbled through the kiss.

'Mmmm, put it on the list,' she breathed as she unbuttoned his purple shirt.

'Mmmm, I know, what about Agatha Christie? I'd love to meet Agatha Christie. Mmmm, I bet she's brilliant.'

'Doctor?' she said, taking off her hoodie and pulling her T-shirt over her head.

'Hmmm?'

'Shut that gorgeous gob of yours and take me to bed!'

 **The End**


End file.
